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From: Gautier <gautier.demontmollin@maths.unine.ch>
Subject: Re: Ada vs Delphi?
Date: 1999/08/07
Message-ID: <37AC015A.F0178539@maths.unine.ch>#1/1
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To: Andre Ratel <aratel@total.net>
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Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Date: 1999-08-07T00:00:00+00:00
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> I am currently using Delphi (and Object Pascal) for my scientific
> programming. I heard a lot lately about Ada. From what I have
> seen, its syntax is very similar to Object Pascal. (This is no
> surprise since both languages are derived from Algol.)

> What would be the advantages of Ada over Delphi?

For scientific programming, the advantages are enormous:

- the language is standardized instead of proprietary;

- there are plenty of compilers;

- these compilers provide optimization;

- you can compile the same program on other platforms than Windows
  e.g. I'm using the same Finite Element library sources on
  a DEC Alpha for calculations and on a PC for post-processing
  and display;

- you can set the precision of floating-point types;
  you can obtain all limitations of floating-point types
  ('first, 'last, 'epsilon, ... attributes);

- you can define vectors, matrices etc. and operators on these objects;

- bounds of array are always available, in an elegant and easy way
  ('first, 'last, 'range attributes);

- generics allows you to program one thing for various usages,
  e.g. matrices with integer or floating-point componants;

a small example:

  function "*"(A:matrix; x:vector) return vector is
    r: field_elt;
    Ax: vector(A'range(1));
    begin
      if A'length(2)/=x'length then raise constraint_error; end if;
      for i in A'range(1) loop
        r:= zero;
        for j in x'range loop
            r:= r + A(i,j-x'first+A'first(2)) * x(j);
        end loop;
        Ax(i):= r;
      end loop;
      return Ax;
    end;


-- 
Gautier

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