From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.8 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_DATE, MSGID_SHORT autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 Xref: utzoo comp.lang.ada:2710 comp.sw.components:289 Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucsd!helios.ee.lbl.gov!ncis.tis.llnl.gov!blackbird!jcardow From: jcardow@blackbird.afit.af.mil (James E. Cardow) Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada,comp.sw.components Subject: Re^2: Ada 9X objectives Message-ID: <1373@blackbird.afit.af.mil> Date: 4 Oct 89 13:09:52 GMT References: <6658@hubcap.clemson.edu> <6661@hubcap.clemson.edu> Organization: Air Force Institute of Technology; WPAFB, OH List-Id: I have to agree with Mr Wolfe, a two year update cycle would cause havoc with the language and the organizations attempting to support the software already developed or nearing the end of development. The support organizations for large, real-time software systems (the original target of Ada) would like nothing more than to have the latest and greatest improvements in their software and support tools. The problem is, minor changes cause major problems.Consider the ten to twenty year development cycle for large projects. Compiler vendors (not to mention) compilers enter and exit the market over that period. The software and the compiler must then be supported by someone else. The ten year span is most likely too long. The additional time to effectively propagate the change and maneuver through the bureaucracy stretches the time to closer to 15 years. With that time frame, too many technically sound improvements are ignored. Those of us is support painfully realize the difference 15 years of technology change make. As far as what changes should be considered, the first step should be an evaluation of the features of "research" languages. The very features that make them attractive are probably the most desired in changes to other languages. Inheritance as handled by C++ would certainly seem to be a prime candidate. There is usually a reason why those features make the language attractive, not considering and incorporating them is foolish. Changes to Ada 83 are needed. The change frequency should be reevaluated. The healthy discussion over which change to include is outstanding. Too bad the support community is not making a greater input, they will live with the results long after the developers move on to newer ideas.