From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.5-pre1 (2020-06-20) on ip-172-31-74-118.ec2.internal X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=0.8 required=3.0 tests=BAYES_50 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.5-pre1 Date: 27 Mar 92 18:42:37 GMT From: rochester!kodak!ispd-newsserver!psinntp!vitro.com!v7.vitro.com!eswgcc@rut gers.edu (Carmen Castells-Schofield) Subject: Re: Why ADA? Message-ID: <1992Mar27.134237.129@v7.vitro.com> List-Id: In article <1992Mar25.163726.10669@mahendo.jpl.nasa.gov>, felipe@larissa.jpl.na sa.gov (Felipe Hervias) writes: > In article <1992Mar24.161425.125@v7.vitro.com>, carmencs@vitro.com (Carmen Ca stells-Schofield) writes: > |> In article <13235@suns3.crosfield.co.uk>, pdg@crosfield.co.uk (paul goffin ) writes: > |> > In article <1992Mar21.235624.1@jaguar.uofs.edu> das11@jaguar.uofs.edu wr ites: > |> > > |> >> at my university, they stress ada development. why should i > |> >> program in ada when there is c? what does ada offer me? please, > |> >> do not give me the crap that c is a glorified assembler. > |> > > |> >> if i program with good oo style, what does ada buy me that i > |> >> can not do in c? > |> > > |> >> dave. > |> > > |> > > |> > The real point, and this is something you may meet later in your working > |> > life, is that if you need to get something done that requires MORE THAN > |> > ONE PERSON, you need to make the 'right' way the 'easy' way. > |> > > |> > With a good 'C' compiler, a good linker, a very good 'lint' (try > |> > Gimble 'Flexelint' BTW) and GOOD PROJECT MANAGEMENT, you _can_ achieve > |> > pretty robust 'C'. But, the first time something is needed 'in a hurry' > |> > the temptation to take the easy way and, say, ignore 'lint' comes in. > |> > > |> > With Ada, 'lint' and good scope controls are 'built-in'. It is > |> > actually _harder_ to get bad Ada to compile than good Ada, so, as > |> > we're all pretty lazy really, we do the eazy thing and write good > |> > Ada. > |> > > |> > Yes, one can write good 'C', but under pressure to get it done fast, > |> > most people don't. > |> > > |> > Paul. > |> > |> This was a very nice exposition of a sentiment I wanted to convey and coul dn't > |> think of how to put. Just to extend this a little, I would say that Ada > |> forces you to use these concepts; C just lets you. The difference the fi rst > |> time you use Ada in a group is amazing; we spent 1 week doing joint design , > |> three weeks separately doing development, and then were integrated and run ning > |> in about an hour. This with good software engineers who were doing their > |> first Ada project. > |> > |> The big payback for Ada is for team development. That's not what you lea rn in > |> school, but it is what you'll need in the real world. > |> > |> -- > > By learning Ada in school doesn't prepare someone for the 'real world.' > You don't need and shouldn't have to use Ada to learn good software > development. If you have a good software engineering background the > so call benefits of Ada doesn't show. > This is true if and only if you always use good software engineering techniques, no matter the time pressure, and so does everyone you ever work with and/or have to support old code from. Historically, however, this has not proven true. Therefore, a language like Ada which makes it easy to do good design and harder to kludge stuff, and which forces you to think things through up front, has a place in the software engineering community. You can write good, structured assembler, too, but very little existing assembler is... > I have used Ada and C is the past and I can see why Ada will never be as > popular as C or ever come close. The increasing popularity of C++ will > only make C/C++ even more popular. I agree that the average hacker would probably rather write C/C++. I maintain, however, that the average software engineer would rather MAINTAIN Ada. ______________________________________________________________________ / Carmen Castells-Schofield Internet: carmencs@vitro.com __ / Vitro Corporation Voice: (301) 231-2187 \ / 14000 Georgia Ave. .................................... \ / Silver Spring, MD 20906-2972 : May the light within us all * : answer each the other's call :................................... ******************************************************************************* * Any opinions expressed herein are my own property, not those of whoever * * happens to be holding my paycheck at the moment. * *******************************************************************************