Re: IBM Acquires Rational Ada

[Richard Riehle <richard@adaworks.com>]

"Warren W. Gay VE3WWG" wrote:

> But consider the challenges of a Windows programmer that wants to write his
> application in Ada:
>
>   - A user interface beyond tty (console) mode is required (text or GUI)
>   - Database access is required (very few serious applications can do
>     without this).
>   - O/S interfaces (e.g. printing and registry)
>   - Network APIs

Some of this list is easily dealt with.   I believe a serious Windows
developer would use CLAW for the GUI.    However, the database
issue is more serious.

We once had AdaSage for good database support, but that has vanished
from the landscape.   There was a company in Santa Clara, CA that
once developed a full relational database in Ada for Ada, but that has
also vanished.   Oracle seems to have de-escalated support for Ada,
and I'm not sure of the status of other database bindings that once
existed.

So, if someone were to create a database product in Ada for Ada, would
there be a market for it?  Oh, I see.  We distribute it via the FSF under the
GPL.  Who can afford the time to do that.  Most Ada programmers I know
are working full-time jobs and don't have the luxury of creating free
software.   OK.  Will someone fund such development?   Well, there's
no one left in the Ada industry with enough money to do this kind of
thing.

Randy and Tom are struggling to keep CLAW going as a viable
commercial venture.   Compiler publishers are stuggling to keep
the cash flow flowing.   There is no one in the DoD willing to
break free money for anything related to Ada these days.

We lost the opportunity when we had it.   So much focus on embedded
systems and little on database systems.   Well, the compiler companies
had no interest in commercial sales of Ada (or the compilers would
have been priced more reasonably).  As long as the DoD was a captive
customer, there was no incentive for competitive product pricing.

ACT has done great things for democratizing Ada.  We can hope it
is not too late.  Just today, one of my international students delivered
a presentation for his final project in my software risk management
class comparing the risks of Ada to the risks of C++.   As a language,
absent all other issues, Ada still wins over C++.  When one considers
the above list given by Mr. Gay, the situation is much gloomier.

What can we do to fix this?   How can we take a superior language
technology, one for which compilers are now in the affordable
range, and make available the necessary tools, at reasonable
prices, to make it a more attractive alternative?

Richard Riehle