Re: Ada vs. C Comparison Data ?

[cis.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!csn!arrayb!wicklund@ucbvax.B erkeley.EDU (Tom Wicklund)]

In <3219@cod.NOSC.MIL> sampson@cod.NOSC.MIL (Charles H. Sampson) writes:

>     The Air Force has recently completed a study that might be what you
>need.  It was done under the direction of Lloyd Mosemann, Deputy Assistant
>Secretary of the Air Force for Communications, Computers, and Logistics.
>The point was to compare Ada and C++ to determine when waivers for C++
>might be warranted.  Five contractors looked at different facets of the
>question.  All five came to the same conclusion: There are no compelling
>reasons to waive the Ada requirement to use C++.  I don't recall that they
>specifically addressed the issue of UNIX workstations but the results are
>probably valid even if they didn't.

>     For four of the five contractors, "hard" data were used.  (As hard
>as such data can be in an area like this.)  The fifth's facet was inher-
>ently more blue sky, so hard data were impossible.

Of course, this is like sugar companies showing health risks in
artificial sweeteners, tobacco companies showing no health risks for
cigarettes, etc.  The Air Force has basically been ordered to find no
exceptions for ADA use, so it's no surprise that they have.

I'm not saying the results are wrong, but I'd rather see a study by an
unbiased source (if such exists).  I imagine ATT could sponsor a study
and find the opposite result.