Re: What is wrong with Ada?

[AJAskey <AskeyAJ@gmail.com>]

Most has been hit in other's posts, but here is my take:

I've used Ada since 1993.  It is the best language for developing real-
time and simulation apps I've found.  Ada compilers have never been
freely available to the masses.  In the 90s, GNAT was available but
there was no internet to grab it and go.  It could have been
downloaded and was available in CD form.  But no one who didn't
already know about it would use it.  Today anyone can grab a free
version of Java or C++ and be developing in an hour.  There are many
other internet/scripting languages available for free.  There are free
tools everywhere.  There is free support available in groups (such as
this).

In 1998 the DoD decide to stop supporting Ada.  It is still alive (I
use it today) but finding and trying tools is a complete pain in the
butt.  Adacore and Aonix require forms to be filled out for a trial.
I needed to get approval/money/signatures within my company just to
try the software.  Then I needed to schedule time to try the software
(I still have not found the time to try Aonix with Eclipse).  Then I
need to provide evidence I uninstalled the software or my company will
be charged.  I think the Ada vendors underestimate the effort required
by companies to just evaluate their product.

>From a marketing perspective, Ada vendors make it nearly impossible
for a company to buy their product vs. Java and C++ vendors who
provide no barriers to entry.  Because of this, no significant
contracts I see coming out of the DoD even want to consider Ada.  The
reluctance for Ada at the corporate level (at least in DoD and other
similar agencies) has nothing to do with the quality of the products
or even the cost.  The reluctance is based on a repeated history
(anecdote after anecdote) of requests for time/money to evaluate an
Ada tool.  Every department/project that wants to use Ada must go
through this.  Most just ignore the Ada option the other options are
well understood and easy to evaluate.  Everyone in the product
development business can see this and ignores Ada as a long term
solution to big projects.  I would guess that the only buyers of Ada
compilers are those with legacy projects who are moving away for
Rational Ada because IBM does not support that well anymore.

Andy