Re: Use of "C/Ada" -- the C dialect of Ada

[jnixon@andrew.ATL.GE.COM (John F Nixon)]

munck@COMMUNITY-CHEST.MITRE.ORG (Bob Munck) writes:


>We've all run into "FORTRAN/Ada" or "JOVIAL/Ada" in which FORTRAN or
>JOVIAL programmers forced to use Ada continue to write their "native
>language" but using the Ada equivalent and syntax.  It's usually
>worth the derision we give it.
>HOWEVER, I've run into a project of significant importance and cost in
>which the grunt programmers simply cannot, for reasons of contracting,
>schedule, and cost, be taught Ada the way we like to do it: teaching
>software engineering principles and incidentally using Ada.

Well, I'm glad to know that there are things "of significant importance"
which aren't worth doing well.  *sigh*

If this is your honest evaluation of the prospects for the system, I suggest
you consider the alternative of simply not doing it.  There are plenty of
bad systems out there now; with this type of a start, I'm sure you will just
add to the total.  However, if you expect the best out of people, you just
might get it.  Maybe the problem isn't "grunt programmers", but "grunt
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jnixon@atl.ge.com                    ...steinmetz!atl.decnet!jnxion