Re: Data shows Top 50 Software Vendors not using Ada

[howland.reston.ans.net!agate!linus!linus.mitre.org!mwunix.mitre.org!m2358 8@gatech.edu (Richard Conn)]

I feel that the data presented does not support the conclusion that
Ada is not being used, while it may support the conclusion that Ada
is not being used in the MAJORITY of the work.  I've worked inside of
a few companies and the government in the past, and in my experience,
such organizations seldom speak with a single voice in most matters.
There are often trends, but there are also often pockets which are doing
something different from the trend.

I feel that companies usually experience the same problems as the DoD,
but on a smaller scale.  Delivering quality software on-time, within
budget, meeting requirements, and being marketable in nature are common
objectives (even the DoD has to market within itself).  So they seek
solutions within their constraints, and their constraints often include
the time to explore alternate solutions and the budget to buy things like
Ada compilers.

This is where the universities can play a significant role.  I feel that
the AJPO is doing a really good thing by fostering the use of Ada in
universities.  Over 200 students have gone through my SE, OOD, and OOP
classes so far, and these students go out into industry with an exposure
to Ada included in their list of assets.  I also expose them to C++ in
the OOD and OOP courses, and we go through a series of exercises comparing
and contrasting the two languages.  Sometimes the students jump on the
Ada bandwagon ... sometimes they do not ... it seems to vary with their
individual experiences and needs.

In many cases, I hear back from students who jumped on the Ada bandwagon
years later.  The reports are often of the form that they explained their
perception of Ada to their bosses and won over the idea of trying Ada on
some project.  Sometimes I hear that the project was a win, sometimes not.
But at least management opened its eyes to a "new" idea (Ada) that it may
not have even considered before that student came along.

As strongly as I have come out for Ada on the net before, I'd like to note
that I frequently use Ada, C, and C++ for my personal work (at home).  Lately i
t
has been coming out about 70% Ada, 5% C, and 25% C++, but that changes with
the projects.  At MITRE, my work is about 85% Ada and 15% C (also depending on
the projects), at Monmouth College (where I currently teach) my work is
about 70% Ada and 30% C++, and in the archives my work is 100% C (there are
no Ada compilers on the DEC-20 or the DEC ALPHA, altho the ALPHA is supposed
to get one, I hear).  In all of my work, except MITRE, of course, I have a
free choice in the language.  How I choose a language for a project is another
story (to be told later, if there is interest).

Rick Conn