Re: Lack of Ada programmers?

[dbrancat@slab.pr.erau.edu (Donald Brancato)]

  In regard to the question raised about the lack of Ada programmers,
I would like to submit my humble opinion.
  I am a senior undergraduate student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
University in Prescott, Arizona majoring in Aviation Computer Science.
Since the fall of 1989 our computer science curriculum has been centered
around Ada.  Everything from general programming concepts, graphics, data
structures, files and database systems, and software engineering has been
taught using Ada as the base language.  And, since the interest of most
students lies in the aeronautical industry, I think the language was well
chosen.  I recently returned from a 6 month Co-op with NASA -Goddard Space
Flight Center working in the Software Engineering Laboratory.  My studies
were well received, as I was working on telemetry simulators in Ada.
  I guess the thrust of my point is that the belief that there are not
enough Ada programmers has not been researched enough to be valid.  
A recent article in Communication of the ACM discussed a study done on
universities currently teaching Ada as the primary language listed over
50 universities in the U.S. alone.
   Whether you select Ada as your language of choice is not the concern
here.  It doesn't take a genius to extrapolate the concepts of one language
to any other language.  In fact, after studying Ada for a couple years I
went on to learn C, C++, and Pascal.
  Anyway, for those individuals who use this excuse to crucify Ada, I will
include my address and telephone to entertain any job opportunities.  Now
don't think that I'll be waiting by the phone drooling, I merely wanted
to make my point and provide a possible solution to the lack of Ada
programmers.

					- Michael J. Clark
					  clarkm@slab.pr.erau.edu