Re: decline of Ada?

["Sam Harbaugh: Palm Bay, Florida" <harbaugh@IU.NET>]

>Date:    Thu, 7 Nov 1996 20:17:32 GMT
>From:    Jon S Anthony <jsa@ALEXANDRIA.AMERICAN.EDU>
>Subject: Re: decline of Ada?

>Could be, but really, Ada has to make it in the commercial market
>independent of so called "mandates" (which were never enforced
>anyway).  So, this could actually be a _good_ thing for Ada - the less
>association with the government the better :-)

I am told that Oracle says that in two years Java will be the standard data
base  language (rather than SQL).  Of course Microsoft may say otherwise. I
am also told that Oracle had 15,000 attendees at Mosconi Center in San
Francisco at last week's Oracle World (or whatever they called it). Compare
this with Tri-Ada attendance.

There are technical and cultural reasons* why Java is the current emerging
commercial language. These same reasons preclude Ada from that area. I guess
that in 20 years there will be technical and cultural reasons why Java will
have plateaued (is there such a word?) and another language is taking its place.

>Part of the problem is that the DoD never really gave Ada much support
>yet tainted it's image by associating it with "the government".

In my opinion it is not a "problem", just a "situation".

In my opinion the DoD gave Ada a GREAT DEAL of support.

How could they not associate it with the Government, they are a part of the
Government?  The DoD had Ada built to specification to solve their problem,
not the problems of the commercial sector.

*ask me and i'll say what i think the reasons are.

my 2 cents worth

sam harbaugh palm bay, florida