Re: ada and robots

[Ken Garlington <Kennie.E.Garlington@lmco.com>]

Joe Gwinn wrote:
> 
> > > I would also comment that DoD's recent recinding of the Ada Mandate will
> > > likely cause the Ada compiler and tools market to shrink to perhaps as
> > > little as one tenth of its prior size, and that significant added
> > > investment in Ada compilers and tools is therefore unlikely, at least
> > > until the size of the remaining market becomes clear.
> >
> > The Hon. Sec. Paige has said that -- in contrast to rescinding the policy
> > -- it will follow the board's recommendation to fund the $15 million for
> > infrastructure.
> 
> So he's flip-flopped?  I saw his previous missive, a week or two ago, and
> it was quite clear.

These words?

.......................................................................

From: "Paige, Emmett Jr., , OSD/C3I +" <paigee@osd.pentagon.mil>
To: LTC Drew Hamilton <dj7560@eecs1.eecs.usma.edu>
Subject: Re: FW: Reason for Mr. Paige's Decision Unclear
Date: Mon, 10 Mar 1997 18:10:00 -0500

THANK GOD , THIS IS AMERICA.

THE BUCK STOPS HERE .  I HAVE TRIED EVERY ROUTE ONE COULD POSSIBLY HAVE
TO HAVE FOLKS RUN WITH ADA SINCE 1979 WHEN I FIRST GOT INVOLVED. THE
MANDATES HAVE NOT WORKED FOR WEAPON SYSTEMS,C3I SYSTEMS OR OUR BUSINESS
SYSTEMS.  IT HAS ONLY WORKED WHERE I PERSONALLY DECIDED TO FORCE THE
ACTION SUCH AS WITH STANFINS-REDESIGN AND SIDPERS III AS FAR AS MAJOR
SYSTEMS I WAS ASSOCIATED WITH ARE CONCERNED.

I AM VERY SATISFIED AND COMFORTABLE WITH THE ELIMINATION OF THE MANDATE.
WE WILL CONTUNIE TO SUPPORT THE ADA EFFORT TO THE TUNE THAT THE NRC
RECOMMENDED OF APPROX $15MIL PER YEAR. THAT SHOULD BE EVIDENT THAT OUR
INTEREST STILL EXISTS IN ADA.

.......................................................................

> Actually, he cannot call his words back at this
> point; the writing is on the wall.  If you were the product manager for an
> ada compiler, wouldn't this stop you in your tracks, afraid to invest more
> money, until the smoke cleared?  The very fact that the future of the
> mandate is questioned in public and at that level of the DoD is the
> story.

This, of course, implies that DoD contractors choose Ada because it is
mandated. In fact, as Mr. Paige notes above, the mandate may in fact
have
worked _against_ adoption in some areas.

I am currently working on a DoD contract with no language requirement;
we still use Ada. I think if we and other DoD contractors stop using
Ada,
then Ada vendors should be concerned, but so long as there is a viable
customer base, I expect there will be an Ada vendor base to support it.

> If not today, what of tomorrow?  The mandate's days are numbered.
> Will it last long enough for a new investment to be recovered?  A
> gut-wrenching question.  Product mamgers get to bet their careers on such
> questions.

Product managers who cannot survive the removal of Government mandates
have
more problems than choosing languages, now that we are in the age of
acquisition reform. Their "gut-wrenching question" is to decide whether
they should be working at McDonalds or Burger King :)

> 
> Joe Gwinn

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