Re: Ada as a first language

[Mike Silva <snarflemike@yahoo.com>]

On Mar 23, 8:08 am, Chris <c...@internode.on.net> wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> mockturtle, "gun for mosquitoes" was definitely what I was thinking, as
> well as am I making it harder on my self than I need to. From what you
> have described as your use fo ada, that is where I would like to get to.
> being able to script things for work would be beneficial
>....Right now I'm just looking to get
> started with software. Ive been working on a VTOL RC aircraft for a
> while, and I would like to, eventually, intergrate sensors, auto pilot,
> ect... down the line.

Based on that comment, you're already well into the realm where the
benefits of Ada would be worth the learning curve, IMHO.  You're also
in the realm where, if you decided to learn C instead (picking the
most obvious alternative) you could end up tying yourself in major
knots, especially as a beginner.

> The problem that I've got now is that I really like Ada. It may sound
> silly, but the clear syntax makes it so much easier to see what's going
> on in the program. And for a person with limited experience, that's a
> massive help.
> I also think that good structure, and best practice are the only way to
> do something, even if it is as a hobby. All my home projects I structure
> and document as if it were a commercial project. While it takes more
> time, it means that the data from the project is always available in the
> future.

You certainly have a mindset to succeed with Ada.  The AVR family of
uCs may be quite suitable for your goals (I use them a lot and I like
them).  I don't know anything about Ada for AVR other than that it
exists (but I think I'll go do some reading now that the subject has
come up).  If it's really useable then that may be just the ticket for
you.

Mike