Re: F22 Raptor in slashdot.org

[Dmytry Lavrov <m31415@mail.ru>]

Richard Riehle wrote:
> 
> Robert Love wrote:
> 
> > In <MrNoSpam-4A654D.12114802082003@news-server.bigpond.net.au> Dale
> > Stanbrough  wrote:
> > > There's been a mention of the F22 Raptor over on slashdot.org.
> > > If anyone knows about the programming that has gone into this
> > > it might be worthwhile posting some follow up info.
> >
> > I was going to ask about this.  If I remember, the new code is in C++
> > and the legacy stuff is Ada.  I don't know percentages, or if there will
> > be a public report on what software is causing the reboots to be needed.
> 
> 1) JSF is scheduled to be predominantly C++ and C.  Ada will be used
>     for some systems.
> 
> 2) Raptor uses a lot of Ada as well as other languages.
> 
> 3) While Ada may be better suited to the  development of military and
>      commercial avionics and other safety-critical software, the development
> 
>      is still carried out by fallible humans.   A  good tool will help, but
> the
>      old adage, "A fool with a tool is still a fool" continues to hold true.
> 
> 4) The complexity of both JSF and Raptor exceeds anything previously
>      attempted.  Large, complex projects that follow the "grand design"
>      process are likely to have  a huge number of defects simply because
>      of their using "grand design."
> 
> 5) While I believe Ada scales up better than C++ in this kind of system,
> there
>      are ways that skilled developers can use a limited version of C++ to
> achieve
>      a modesly satisfactory result.   Unfortunately, I have little
> confidence that
>      those developers will limit themselves to only those aspects of C++
> that
>      are safe.   The temptation to do otherwise is too great.
> 
> 6)  When a system written in Ada does fail, we must be honest enough to
> admit
>       that it was created in Ada.  All the excuses we make sound like
> excuses. I
>       have seen excellent projects writtten in Ada -- other Ada projects
> that
>      would, in the words of a mythical specials forces colonel,
>      "make a billy goat puke."
> 
> 7)  Finally, I do believe that, all other things being equal, a programming
> team has
>      a greater probability of success using Ada than C++ or other
> alternatives.
> 
> Richard Riehle

It's bad (for me and Lithuania ;-) if USA will have planes that need
reboots..

What,this F22's autopilot are really big program?
What's it does? Some kind of AI?
To fly from waypoint to waypoint and aim missiles not a very big program
is needed,my non-speciallist's imo.

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