Ada95 Should be a Multivolume ISO Standard. -- was Two ideas for

["Robert C. Leif, Ph.D." <rleif@MAIL.CTS.COM>]

From: Bob Leif, Ph.D.
Ada_Med

To: John_Volan et al.
You Wrote
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"More broadly, I'm also glad to see that there's some thought about
allowing Ada95 to evolve even before ISO gets around to the next major
revision. Nobody's perfect, and nobody's perfectly clairvoyant either,
including the people who write language standards.  But the ability to
correct mistakes and adapt to new circumstances is a sign of good
health.  For this reason, I believe it's vital that there be some
mechanism for discussing, experimenting, implementing, and sanctioning
revisions and extensions to Ada95.  But I disagree that this mechanism
should be "informal" or "semi-recognized."  There should be some
formally-accepted way to perform corrective and adaptive maintenance on
the Ada95 standard.  Is there one? If there isn't, could somebody with
some clout step in to fill the vacuum, perhaps a coalition between ACT
and Intermetrics? Is this already the de facto situation?"
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The first step is to change Ada 95 from a single to a multivolume ISO
standard. The specification of Ada presently is based on the waterfall model
and occurs at periods greater than a decade. A multivolume standard would
permit the classic software approach of divide and conquer. The spiral mode,
which is the method of choice for most software development, should be
applied to Ada.

The second step is to employ some standard's group, such as the IEEE, to
place its imprimatur on Provisional changes to Ada. I define  Provisional
to mean, this is our present design; but, we can  NOT guarantee that it will
stay in its present form. Experience may require that it be changed.

My personal choice for the standard's group is ACM SigAda. I quite well
realize that the ACM is presently not a standards organization. However, the
ACM SigAda has the great advantage of being composed of Ada enthusiasts.

Yours,
Bob Leif