Re: A Pascal Subset of Ada (was: Why Ada is Failing Socially)

[fisher@edwards-vax.af.mil]

In article <1991Jun25.022849.18078@jpl-devvax.jpl.nasa.gov>, larryc@poe.jpl.nasa.gov (Larry Carroll) writes:
> 
> One of the biggest mistakes of AJPO (or whoever made the decision) was to
> disallow Ada subsets.  I think they should have allowed ONE subset, 
> corresponding roughly to Pascal and including packages.  We would have had 
> inexpensive & commercially useful compilers much earlier, & disposed of the 
> "Ada is huge" mindset.
> 

Actually, the original JANUS STUDENT compiler (NON VALIDATED) was essentially
just that....I found it terrible.  I was using it for an Ada class, and
everytime I wanted to try out a neat feature in Ada, it wouldn't work.  It was
quite frustrating to try things like:

	- Overloading Operators
	- Auto-backlinking of pointers on node creation
	- Tasking

When everytime I attempted something, the compiler didn't support it.  I
thought a really neat to try out some generics with overloaded operators;
create a class for "imaginary", with a package for imaginary overloading all of
the operators (+, -, *, etc) which would do the math for the imaginary numbers,
and return the expected results.  Then apply a generic package to type
imaginary for something and see how well it worked.  Unfortunately, the
overloading of operators did not work at all, and I never satisfied myself that
the generics even worked!

I'm sorry, my feeling is that Ada should be Ada should be Ada, no subsets, no
supersets.  When teaching it to beginning programmers, teach the "pascal
subset" by all means, then expand on it.  When teaching engineers who know
about software development/engineering, infuse them with the Ada philosophy of
project development, and teach the unique features Ada provides.

I was unfortunate enough to have attended a class that thought Ada as a first
language, with only the last few weeks really getting into Ada specific
features.  The tragedy was that while the class was being taught at a junior
college, 28 out of 30 students were computer professionals or at least
engineers familiar with programming!  Of the two full time students in
attendance, they were both familiar with programming, as having a previous
langauge was a prerequisite for the class!  I feel it was a short coming of the
instructor to teach the class in this form.  Combined with absolutely terrible
equipment and the brain-dead non-validated Ada compiler, I felt the class was
barely more than a waste of my time!

To really learn Ada, I guess I'll have to write a full software package of some
kind myself.  I have an idea of what I want to write, but  no time ...(sigh)!

P.S. I've since bought the Meridian Ada for $149.00, and am ecstatic with the
product!  

-- 
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  Lawrence Fisher                Internet: fisher@edwards-vax.af.mil
  Digital Equipment Corporation                         ^
  Principal Software Specialist  Currently working here | (Edwards AFB, CA)
  Specializing in Realtime       
  Disclaimer:  I don't speak for Digital or the U. S. Air Force
    "Bomb Number 20, you're out of the bomb bay again"
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