Re: Is the "Ada mandate" being reconsidered?

[Ken Garlington <garlingtonke@lmtas.lmco.com>]

Michael Levasseur wrote:
> 
> COTS - These movement to COTS hass been including move and
> more code that has been written in C++ as well 4GL stuff.

What does writing custom code in C++ or 4GL have to do with COTS?
(Note that, for many years, 4GL has been a DoD preference -- when
Ada is not possible. This isn't new.)

> The loss of credible compiler companies - As the number of credible
> compiler companies shinks and DoD software budgets continue to
> shink getting a vendor for the particular platform are harder and
> also more expensive.

However, when _I_ look at the data, the number of supported platforms 
continues to grow, and more platforms have free compilers available 
today than they did 5 years ago. Could you post the source of the data 
you're using to justify this statement?

> Ada has not and probably never will overcome
> the stigma of being developed by the Government.

Is there not an exquisite irony in posting this statement on the
Internet?

> Company Management - Many DoD companies now don't really worry
> about complying with the DoD directive.
> 
> DoD Management - The DoD lets the companies get away with this

This has been said since the beginning of Ada. The anecdotal
evidence in support of this doesn't appear to be any greater now
than it was 5 years ago. Why would this suddenly cause the "demise"
of Ada? (Interestingly, however, every time I see a service listing
their major software projects, the list of Ada projects continues
to grow...)

> Although Ada is better, C and C++ will
> probably be the winner.

No, obviously Visual Basic will be the winner. No wait, Java will be the
winner! No... :)

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