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=-1.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,FREEMAIL_FROM autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Thread: 103376,a0be06fbc0dd71f1 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public,usenet X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit Path: g2news1.google.com!news4.google.com!proxad.net!feeder1-2.proxad.net!news.tiscali.fr!club-internet.fr!feedme-small.clubint.net!newsfeed.freenet.de!border2.nntp.ams.giganews.com!nntp.giganews.com!sn-xt-ams-06!sn-xt-ams-04!sn-ams!sn-feed-ams-01!sn-post-ams-01!sn-post-sjc-02!sn-post-sjc-01!supernews.com!corp.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: "Phaedrus" Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: The future of Ada is at risk Date: Sun, 30 Dec 2007 14:23:21 -0800 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: <13ng6j1anmdj4b1@corp.supernews.com> References: <20071229040639.f753f982.coolzone@it.dk> <13nek962cd55t08@corp.supernews.com> <47777c46$0$16665$9b4e6d93@newsspool3.arcor-online.net> X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.2180 X-RFC2646: Format=Flowed; Response X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2180 X-Complaints-To: abuse@supernews.com Xref: g2news1.google.com comp.lang.ada:19089 Date: 2007-12-30T14:23:21-08:00 List-Id: >> Just a few things will have to change before it's worth-while. > > Which ones? 1. Cheaper development environment for non-GPL work. If it's more expensive than Visual C++, then guess which one the pointy-haired managers and bean counters are gonna pick? 2. Packages that are suitable for non-academic work. (I just know I'll catch a flame or two for this one.) Many packages are released which will work just fine in a non-realtime environment, but are a little too "safe" to use in a commercial environment. (Joke: What do you call an information-hiding hammer? A pillow.) For instance, once upon a time I was looking for a good bitmap package for Ada. One I looked at had a very nice set of operations, with Get_Bitmap, Save_Bitmap operations. However, I needed access to the data, and the ONLY access to the data that was provided was ONE PIXEL AT A TIME. Sure, I could have re-written it, but then I started wondering, why would someone want to load and save bitmaps without accessing the data? It didn't even give access to the address of the first pixel! Okay, enough rant on that. 3. More libraries such as Gwindows. I really can't say enough good things about it, it's useful, well written and really free! David Botton and others have done an incredible job with this library, and it can even be used for commercial work. > Yeah, these days there is little you get for nothing. I disagree, see item 3. There are many other examples too, just check out Pascal's site, and some of the other Ada sites. These things are like finding gold on your doorstep! Cheers! Brian "Georg Bauhaus" wrote in message news:47777c46$0$16665$9b4e6d93@newsspool3.arcor-online.net... > Phaedrus wrote: > >> Remember, the game market is a lot bigger than the old military market >> ever was. >> >> Just a few things will have to change before it's worth-while. > > Which ones? > >> You're right, only one real compiler exists and it's horribly expensive >> for commercial work. > > I'm working with another compiler and tools, but indeed, > software has something unreal. > > Not sure how those other Ada businesses are providing > their unreal tools. > >> (Isn't it interesting that they claim to only charge for "support", but >> then force anyone who uses the free compiler to release their developed >> software for free? *sigh*) Along that line, a lot of current Ada >> packages have been infected with the dreaded GPL-itis. That make them >> unusable for commercial stuff, too. > > Yeah, these days there is little you get for nothing.