Ada rotting? (was: What ada 83 compiler is *best*)

[Roga Danar <smithm_nospam@XXX_nospam_stelnj.com>]

Rick Thorne wrote:

> Roga Danar wrote:
>
> >  If you have any statistics on the "rotting" of Ada I would love to see them.
>
> *contemptuous chuckle*
>
> Why don't you read your Sunday paper, friend?  Check out the want ads.  MY
> "statistical" survery tells me this: for every Ada job opening there are
> literally - LITERALLY - dozens for Java and C++.

Also, were there EVER many Ada jobs in the newspaper?  This does not tell me if
there is somewhat more demand, somewhat less or about the same compared to say,
10 years ago.  When was the use of Ada at it's Apex? ;-> (Sorry, could not help
myself)

Okay.  I was just looking for some *statistics*.
What facts you have are anecdotal and/or nothing new to anyone.

Also, I really didn't mean to get your "panties in a bunch" over this.
If I may quote the movie Real Genius "There are many decaffeinated brands on the
market that are just as tasty as the real thing."

    I still put the question to the group:

    Are there statistics which show the number of new and/or legacy Ada
developement/research projects in the US and world-wide?

> What statistical sampling do I need other than this?

To support the claim that Ada is "rotting" (i.e.. new project declining) you do
need more.
 If you don't know the answer to this question then might I suggest a course in
statistics.

> Yup, Ada IS a great language.  I
> agree.  The Edsel was a great car, too.

FYI, the Edsel was a death-trap.  It was very dangerous to drive.
I have driven one myself.

>
> Look, too, at the Usenet news groups.  Compare the traffic on
> comp.lang.ada to comp.lang.c++.* and comp.lang.java.*.  The Ada newgroup
> is orders of magnitude smaller.  Look at the journals.  When's the last
> time Ada was of the cover of IEEE Software?  Walk into Computer Literacy
> or any other book store carrying geek literature.  What's the ratio of
> C++/Java books to Ada?  It's easily orders of magnitude in difference.
>
> > Since Ada is a great language and as many advantages and few drawbacks
> > compared
> > with the more popular languages like C/C++, Java, Pascal, Fortran, Cobol
> > etc... It
> > is only a matter of time and marketing that Ada is placed, rightfully, as the
> > language for the next millennium, IMHO.

Hyperbole on my part, granted.

     > Take a look at the language technologies that have
     > absolutely left Ada in the dust: Java, C++, Perl, Python, etc.
     > Why?  Simple: TIME AND MARKETING.

Perhaps because the syntax for these are very similar?  Certainly time had nothing
to do with Java's popularity.  Can you support this claim?

> I haven't been out of work a DAY because of it, nor will
> I be out of work for the forseeable future.

Ditto.  I have more work then I can handle.

> I work in Silicon Valley as a software consultant and I promise you, sir,
> Ada isn't on the horizon of anyone - ANYONE - I regard as a client, ...

Really?  I turned down a high paying (thank you very much) Ada contract at
Lockheed-Martin in Sunnyvale, CA, hmmmm, perhaps you know of them. ;=>

FYI, I worked in the Silicon Valley on 3 different contracts which save one was all
new Ada development.

-- Michael Smith
President, AlphaSoft, Inc.