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=-1.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,e1a91c4d90acda97 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-Thread: 109fba,e1a91c4d90acda97 X-Google-Attributes: gid109fba,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2001-01-18 00:48:08 PST Path: supernews.google.com!sn-xit-03!supernews.com!newsswitch.lcs.mit.edu!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!newsfeed1.earthlink.net!newsfeed2.earthlink.net!newsfeed.earthlink.net!news.mindspring.net!not-for-mail From: Lao Xiao Hai Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada,comp.lang.c++ Subject: Re: Safety-Critical Systems Developed Using C++ Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2001 00:42:11 -0800 Organization: MindSpring Enterprises Message-ID: <3A66AC63.74ECBADB@ix.netcom.com> References: <945eeq$vmk$1@nnrp1.deja.com> <3A664EC4.6F679BE0@acm.org> <6Hu96.4848$rw.42689@e420r-atl2.usenetserver.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: 3f.35.b5.9e Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Server-Date: 18 Jan 2001 08:43:20 GMT X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.7 [en] (Win98; I) X-Accept-Language: en Xref: supernews.google.com comp.lang.ada:4144 comp.lang.c++:40236 Date: 2001-01-18T08:43:20+00:00 List-Id: John Luebs wrote: > > Ada reduces error rates! So that's why the DoD abandoned it as fast as > possible! 1) The DoD did not abandon Ada. 2) Ada continues to be used for many important DoD projects. 3) We continue to teach Ada in the DoD sponsored academic environments such as West Point, USAF Academy, and Naval Postgraduate School. 4) The DoD did issue a memorandum relaxing the Ada policy in favor of a broader view of language selection. That memorandum provides for an SEPR (Software Engineering Process Review) that includes selecting a programming language for a project on the basis of its appropriateness for the project being planned. When safety-critical is the overriding issue, intelligent planners select Ada. Others, guided not by technological concerns but political ones, may choose something else. 5) Anyone who would choose C++ of Java for a DoD safety-critical weapon systems program is maknig that choice on the basis of concerns that have nothing to do with reliability or correctness of the technology. 6) There continue to be good engineers who understand the value of Ada for weapon systems development. Of course, we do need more, but we are fortunate to still have a few. I keep encountering this kind of misinterpretation of DoD policy regarding Ada. It seems that even those who have read Mr. Paige's directive on this subject fail to read it in its entirety. All they see is the relaxing of the mandate, not the continued support for Ada. Richard Riehle