Re: Portable GUI (was Re: Future with Ada)

[Richard Riehle <richard@adaworks.com>]

I am now reading the language comparison papers from my
NPS class, "Ada As A Second Language."    Nearly all of the
students in this class have at least two other languages:
C++ and Java.   Some have Fortran from their undergraduate
engineering but have forgotten much of it.   Others have a
smattering of other languages.

One of the last assignments for this class was to write a paper
comparing Ada to one of their "first" languages.    Some
compared Ada to C++.  Most compared it to Java.   A few
compared it to multiple languages, usually C++ and Ada. One
even included a comparison to PL/I.

Almost all of them prefer Ada to C++.    Some don't like Ada
very much due to difficulties they had completing some of their
assignments.   Most expressed a newfound appreciation for Ada,
even as they expected it to be dull, dead, and a waste of time.

In nearly every paper, especially those comparing Ada to Java,
the students said they would be more inclined to use Java because
of the easy-to-use development environment.    Even those who
really took to Ada noted their disappointment with the available
tools for creating, testing, and debugging programs when comparing
their Java experience with their Ada experience.

The conclusion:   Ada is attractive, as a language.   It is not attractive
when one examines the associated development tools and libraries. We
have a long way to go.

That being said, some of the compiler developers do have good development
environments available.  I need to see whether I can get access to the
Rational Apex environment or some of the other really good commercial
tools (DDC-I, Wind River, etc.)  for future NPS classes.   One problem with
that is that students put the compiler and development tools on their laptops
for the quarter and practice at home, in the library, and in the lunch area.  I
fear I would have trouble getting permission from a commercial compiler
publisher to distribute their product so freely.   ObjectAda is an option,
because of its GUI environment.  Some students use it.   Too bad ObjectAda
does not decouple from its compiler so we could use any compiler we
wanted with it.

Meanwhile,  we will continue to use the tools that are freely available and
encourage students with glimpses of other environments when possible.  Still,
it is difficult when they see the tools available for Java compared to what they

have for Ada.

Some of you are old enough to remember Eddie Cantor singing, "How you
gonna keep'em down on the farm after they've seen Pareeeeee?"

Richard Riehle