Re: Dynamic String

["Harald Korneliussen" <vintermann@gmail.com>]

Larry Kilgallen wrote:
> In article <1130753721.639869.322210@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, "Harald Korneliussen" <vintermann@gmail.com> writes:
> >
> > TC wrote:
> >> I have some problem with Strings Unbounded.
> >> How read a string from keyboard and put in S(Strings Unbounded)?
> >>
> >> there is a manual or site on line that have an example of use the
> >> Strings Unbounded, Wiki is no very good
> >
> > I believe GNAT has a utility function to do this. But when such a
> > function is not standardized, I wonder how some people can say (like
> > they do in wikibooks) that Ada is a rapid application development
> > language.
>
> Rapid application development makes sense for keyboard-style interfaces
> where one is going to accept input from humans.  Pick a maximum size and
> go with it.
>
> If your goal is to parse XML strings of arbitrary size created by some
> other computer, then a more careful approach than RAD is required.

Fred Brooks claimed that programming is inherently hard, and suggested
that the best way to write software quickly would be to not write it at
all, but use pre-written modules. RAD languages like Java, C# and
Visual Basic (gross!) attempt to leverage that idea. It helps with
development speed, however it is usually a good idea security-wise as
well. For instance, I'd trust the XML parsers of java quite a lot more
than some random equivalient written in C. If I really needed it, and
could afford it, and was personally accountable anyway (so blaming my
suppliers would not be an option), I would perhaps hire you to write a
custom XML-parser in Ada, Larry ;-)

btw, I think Ada is great, but it's not for rapid application
development. I wish it could be that too, but without even a container
library... I understand that containers have been left out of Ada0Y
again?