From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 1014db,dab7d920e4340f12 X-Google-Attributes: gid1014db,public X-Google-Thread: 103376,dab7d920e4340f12 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public From: whiting_ms@corning.com (whiting_ms@corning.com (Matt Whiting)) Subject: Re: C is 'better' than Ada because... Date: 1996/07/31 Message-ID: <1996Jul31.154502.1@corning.com>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 171297266 references: <31daad10.57288085@netline-fddi.jpl.nasa.gov> <01bb7da5$ef97cf00$96ee6fcf@timhome2> organization: Corning, Incorporated newsgroups: comp.lang.ada,comp.lang.c nntp-posting-user: whiting_ms Date: 1996-07-31T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: In article <01bb7da5$ef97cf00$96ee6fcf@timhome2>, "Tim Behrendsen" writes: > Dirk Dickmanns wrote in article > ... > > {stuff deleted, but hopefully I kept the attributions lined up correctly!} > >> There is neither a Borland Ada for Windoze nor a Visual Ada from >> Mickey$oft. > > Again, why? There are endless companies producing C++ compilers, > Pascal compilers, Java compilers, Modula III compilers for god's > sake, why not Ada? -- That's easy: neither Borland nor Microsoft make their money from selling high quality, reliable software. They make their money from selling inexpensive (cheap) software that is "good enough" (the 80/20 rule) for desktop users who will tolerate an occasional GPF and loss of a spreadsheet or letter. People tend to be less tolerant of failures in software that controls the airplane they are flying on... I know analogy is a weak and dangerous form of argument, but this reminds me of the aspirin vs. neurosurgeon scenario. Why are there more people that sell aspirin than they are that perform brain surgery? Simple, most headaches don't REQUIRE brain surgery and aspirin is an adequate solution. However, if you really NEED brain surgery, aspirin isn't a great choice. You decide which object in the above scenario is C and which is Ada. Using the above argument, I'd say that neurosurgeons are inferior to aspirin sellers as they aren't nearly as readily available nor as cheap. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Matthew S. Whiting, P.E. | Corning Incorporated | (607) 974-6317 phone Manager Advanced Control Systems | HP-ME-01-034 | (607) 974-6752 fax whiting_ms@corning.com | Corning, NY 14831 |