Re: Service Academies

["Dennis W. Butler" <dbutler@galaxy.csc.calpoly.edu>]

Robert B. Love wrote:
> 
> Do I remember someone saying that the USAF is teaching cadets
> Ada?  I've been on the phone today with recruiters talking
> about Colorado Springs.  The woman told me she had no call
> for Ada programmers but C++/GUI was hot and had been growing.
> This firm dealt only with aerospace, not the telcom companies.
> 
> So my actual questions are:
> 
> a) Is Ada being taught to Air Force cadets?
> 
> b) Why, if right outside their gates it isn't being
>    used?

Universities are not vocational-technical schools. They (hopefully)
teach principles and concepts using the best methods available. Since
Ada is a modern programming language with direct support of sound
software engineering principles, many Universities use it as an
instructional language. After graduation, students will apply the
principles and concepts they've learned in their professional
environment. If that environment is a decade or so behind (in
technological terms), then the graduates will have been equipped with
the most modern methods so they can cope with such backwardness.

My expectation is that, in the next few years, students who have been
exposed to a better way in school will rise to decision-making positions
in the industry and implement systems with modern methods.

As an aside, it seems to me that Mr. Love's posting begs the questions:
Should Universities follow the industry or lead it?

Dennis Butler
Computer Science Department
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo