INFO-ADA Digest V92 #299

[BUSHMAN@mitecmail.ccscnet.af.mil]

In response to Scott Kramer's question (V92 #299):
 
Scott,
 
    You asked what good Ada experience would get you.  First off, if you are
wanting to stay in the accounting field, but want to have the computer
knowledge as well, Unix will help.  Many large systems are using Unix.  This
will definately be of some value. However, I have worked in Ada for about
three years and the programming field for six, and I don't think that Ada
itself will do you much good as an accountant. Don't get me wrong, Ada is a
good language. What the prior advice that you quoted was probably trying to
tell you is that programming experience will help. The problem with is Ada is
that it is a very large language and so far, the main user of Ada is the U.S.
Government, especially the DOD. There are many other groups out there using
Ada, but its use is not nearly as common as other languages that you would
probably be more apt to use in your field (like COBOL, unfortunately).
 
    As far as getting some programming experience, there are litterally
hundreds of languages out there.  Ada is only a well known one.  As I stated
in the last paragraph, Ada is a very large language.  For someone wanting to
get some programming experience, as your first language to tackle, Ada would
be much harder to learn than others, such as COBOL.  When learning how to
swim, do you start by jumping in the middle of the lake and hope you survive
to the shore?  Probably not.  And the same holds true for programming.  Start
with the basics and then move on to bigger and better things (like Ada, if
you find you like programming).
 
 
Send replies to:
 
Kevin (Gonzo) Bushman
bushman@mitecmail.ccscnet.af.mil