Re: How Ada is failing socially

[rharwood@east.pima.edu]

In article <SRCTRAN.91Jun24191603@world.std.com>, srctran@world.std.com
(Gregory Aharonian) writes:

> 
>      If Ada is so great, and the US government is spending so many billions
> on Ada software development, why is the marketplace for Ada tools and
> libraries non-existent?
>      I just received in the mail today the Summer '91 issue of "The Connection"
> a directory of software development tools and products distributed by
> "Programmers Connection (North Canton, OH) 800-336-1166)". They distribute
> pretty much any programming tool for PCs, Suns, Macs and Vaxes, though most of
> their products are for PCs.
>      The bulk of their products are language compilers, language tools and
> language libraries. In the Summer '91 issue, I made the following rough count
> of products by major languages:
> 			Ada          -       10
>  			Assembly     -       32
> 			Basic        -       65
> 			C            -      289
> 			C++	     -      111
> 			Clipper      -       38
> 			Cobol        -       15
> 			Fortran      -       53
> 			Modula-2     -       11
> 			Pascal       -       56
> 

I'd hardly consider Programmer's Connection a valid pulsebeat of international
software engineering tool usage.  "Most of their products are for PCs" makes
the bulk of your other religeous arguments suspect.  All your table shows ME is
that ANYONE can make a piece of software and call it a "C tool."

Look instead at a cross-section of job opportunities in computer programming. 
Yes, I concede C/C++ is the big winner.  But PASCAL programmers are NOT in
demand.  Oh, there is a demand for TURBO PASCAL programmers, but that's not the
same!  The PC programmer market is VERY different from the large-scale and
embedded system market.

Ray