Re: Open Systems closed to ADA?

[uunet.ca!eyepoint!alvin@uunet.uu.net (Alvin Starr)]

Back to the original point. Are "OPEN SYSTEMS" closed to ADA.  From
my perspective it would seem that ADA is closed to Open Systems. ADA
compilers tend to be part of an integrated development environment(some more
than others) that will help you take source files and generate a binary for
a given target system. If you are not on that exact target then you are beat.

Example.
We have a OS that has support for a number of the real-time/multi-tasking
features that make ADA a good real-time language. We can execute IBCS2(386V.2)
code but to use the features of our OS you would have to use a different
set of system calls. the problems that we found are:
        - everybody system call libraries are custom/proprietary and will not
          be released to anybody or for an amount of money that I cannot
          obtain.
        - The ADA compilers all contain custom linkers and assemblers so each
          one is different and any work that is done will have to be redone
          for each new compiler.
        - The ADA compiler vendors were not interested in supporting another
          OS(unless of course we moved a dumpster full of cash up to the front
          door). They also were not interested in letting us do the original
          porting work.

We explored the possibility of providing a POSIX compatible OS that would be
compiled in ADA and could have new device drivers written and debugged in ADA.
Much to our surprise we found that there was very little interest.

I can go out and get half a dozen C/C++ compilers for the SUN and each of them
will generate assembler and object code that I can use with the others. Can
any 2 ADA compiler vendors claim the same. IMHO this is the crux of the problem
.
As a software developer I do not want a swiss army knife, I want a tool box
that I can add new tools to and replace the worn out old tools. The answer is
not a bigger knife with more tools half of which are no use to me but I still
have to pay for.

--
Alvin Starr                   ||   voice: (416)513-6717
Eyepoint Inc.                 ||   fax:   (416)513-6718
alvin@eyepoint.com            ||
-- 
Alvin Starr                   ||   voice: (416)513-6717
Eyepoint Inc.                 ||   fax:   (416)513-6718
alvin@eyepoint.com            ||