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=-0.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00, REPLYTO_WITHOUT_TO_CC autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,92c39a3be0a7f17d X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2001-12-20 11:32:05 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!netnews.com!xfer02.netnews.com!newsfeed2.earthlink.net!newsfeed.earthlink.net!news.mindspring.net!not-for-mail From: Richard Riehle Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Portable GUI (was Re: Future with Ada) Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2001 11:37:09 -0800 Organization: AdaWorks Software Engineering Message-ID: <3C223DE4.9A50C1B2@adaworks.com> References: <9v57u1$mfb$1@nh.pace.co.uk> <9v74ov014bc@drn.newsguy.com> <9vb24v$7fg$1@nh.pace.co.uk> <9vdo2a$9h3$1@nh.pace.co.uk> <3C20C5CE.DBFE5B96@san.rr.com> <9vqk0f$cp9$1@nh.pace.co.uk> Reply-To: richard@adaworks.com NNTP-Posting-Host: 9e.fc.c5.56 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Server-Date: 20 Dec 2001 19:31:40 GMT X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.7 [en] (Win98; I) X-Accept-Language: en Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:18161 Date: 2001-12-20T19:31:40+00:00 List-Id: 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