Thanks for the Ada Bindings Help. Next Issue: Compilers

[schallen@dinl.uucp (Eric Schallenmueller)]

To those of you who have responded to my postings (Dick, Joe, Dave, Tim, 
others), thank you very much.  I will check these out.  I have the STARS tapes 
and will see what I can get from them.

(Barry:  haven't been able to reach you on the net or at your phone.  Call me
 (303) 971-7936)

Some of you have been asking about the Ada climate here.  Well, it's in a 
precarious position due to a rough time we're having with one of our few
Ada programs.  There appears to be an unacceptable delay due to the compiler.
The compile delays may be due to poor structuring of Ada code or from a poor
compiler or both.  Here's the system:

Development is on a Rational.  For compiles, the system is sent to a DEC box
(via wire) and the modules are then configured in the proper libraries.
This takes about eight hours and is done automatically, I think.  
Then the compile begins under VMS 5.3 and ACS 2.1 (the Ada compiler).
The compile takes 20 hours for 2100 modules.  In talking to the software lead,
he said the whole system was thought to be 1/2 Million LOC, but now estimates
it at 250k LOC.  

Is this awful response for the compile time or is it typical for an Ada program
of this size?  How much should structuring of Ada code affect the compile time?

The work I'm doing personally is not related to the program having trouble and
can't really be compared.  I am using the ACS system and having no troubles
at all with response time, but then I'm not building a 250K LOC system -- yet.
I'm asking for this information because I don't want to end up in the same 
situation myself.  If I get some good information, I will relay it back to the
guys on the program.  I'm sure they've tried their best to get all the help
from the vendor they can.  I just thought I'd see what the net has to say about
this kind of experience.

It would be really nice if some of you folks from AFATDS or CCPDS-R or WIS
could post some notes.  You've got lots of papers out there, but hard numbers
seem difficult to find.   Give Ada a hand, eh? 

Thanks again,

Eric
(303) 971-7936