Re: C to ADA translators.

[scf16!bashford@ford-wdl1.arpa (Dave Bashford)]

In article <1993Apr6.121615.7936@relay.nswc.navy.mil> bwallet@apssgi.nswc.navy.
mil (Brad Wallet) writes:
>In article <1pq7be$pb6@access.digex.net>, prb@access.digex.com (Pat) writes:
>|> 
>|> I am looking for a program that will take a fairly clean
>|> C program  and convert it to ADA.  Does anyone know?
>
>And we wonder why Ada projects overrun!  Design and write the code
>in Ada.  I rarely post, and almost never flame anyone, but i am sick
>and tired of contractors writing the code in Fortran (C is a new
>twist on this one) and then running it through a translator.  The
>code that will come out will be hopelessly unmanageable, unreadable,
>and unmaintainable.  I would ask you to post your company so I could
>avoid dealing with it, but, unfortunately, you are far from alone.
>
>Sorry, I guess that was a bit harsh.  I am just sick of this whole
>practice.  It may (MAY) meet the letter of the law, but it doesn't
>meet the spirit.  It is pure incompetence to do this.
>
>Brad
>

Since religion seems to be an acceptable thread in this group, I'll bite.

If I have a piece of software that has already been written, tested, and
used in other applications - but was not written in Ada. Or I have a COTS
product that generates code in a language other than Ada, and I can't
convince the vendor to change the product with the budget and schedule I'm
working under. And I have a customer who requires "the letter of the law"
with a limited budget and schedule.

What would you have me do ?

One solution I've heard of: Get a waiver for assembly and compile the C
to assembly. Much easier than getting a waiver for C. There's your "letter
of the law".
-- 

db
bashford@srs.loral.com (Dave Bashford, Sunnyvale, CA)