From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: * X-Spam-Status: No, score=1.1 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_20,INVALID_DATE autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!gatech!mcnc!uvaarpa!vger.nsu.edu!g_harrison From: g_harrison@vger.nsu.edu Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Legislative Mandate for Ada Message-ID: <387.276dc205@vger.nsu.edu> Date: 18 Dec 90 11:15:16 GMT References: <2449@sparko.gwu.edu> <9700@as0c.sei.cmu.edu> <2455@sparko.gwu.edu> <9728@as0c.sei.cmu.edu> List-Id: In article , emery@linus.mitre.org (David Emery) writes: >>From: bwb@sei.cmu.edu (Bruce Benson) >>I sat in a meeting where an individual (working in one of the military >>service DoD secretariets) insisted that any university that got >>federal money (ROTC, research grants, etc.) should be told to teach >>Ada or have their money taken away. > > Actually, I think there's something to be said for this idea. Even > more, I think that any DARPA or DoD-funded project should submit a > waiver request to do their work in something besides Ada. Such > waivers should be reasonably easy to get, but there are a lot of > research projects that could be used on gov't systems, except for the > fact that they're implemented in languages that create a significant > maintenance/adaptability problem (e.g. C, lisp). > (The next thing we'll have is the government trying to tell us that we must teach the metric system. ;-) I disagree with the above statement. It's one thing mandating equal opportunity; it another trying to FORCE what we teach. There is still such a thing as academic freedom. Although I am the FIRST to propose using Ada as the primary procedural language in the classroom, I will not be forced to even offer one course in the language and its applications by the DoD. We do offer such a course and another course in specific Ada-like applications, but it was our choice to do this! > However, unless and until Ada compilers are as affordable as C > compilers (e.g. Gnu C), such a requirement will be financially > untenable, since most schools are unwilling to fork out the $$ for an > Ada compiler. I disagree again. Although Ada is not "free," there are relatively inexpensive compilers for PC's, and with educational discounts you can purchase a mini/mainframe compiler for about the same price as any other. George.... ------------------------------------------------------*------o Happy--- -- George C. Harrison ------------------------------ * * ----o_o___ New--- ----- Professor of Computer Science -------------- * * * ----\ o /-Year-- ----- Norfolk State University, ----------------- *Merry* ----\ /-------- -------- Norfolk, Virginia 23504 --------------- * * * * * ----|--------- ----- INTERNET: g_harrison@vger.nsu.edu ------ *Christmas* --_|_-------- ----------These are MY views.... you may share them..*** -----------------