Re: Ada saved by gnat (was Re: Where's Aetech?)

[pontius@twonky.btv.ibm.com (Dale Pontius)]

In article <3mjcci$gcg@news.znet.com>, Jim Dorman <jimd@pcada.com> writes:
>
> lots of stuff...
>
I'll acknowledge your points, but...

In the current craze of cost-cutting, capitalistic, corporate America
it can be awfully hard to buy a simple thing like a compiler. I said
this a month back, but I'll repeat it in this context.

I'm not a programmer, I just do some programming to enhance my 'real
job' productivity. I can no longer justify the purchase of a compiler
not supplied by the company. I have two relevant platforms to think
about, AIX/6000 and OS/2. The only company supplied compiler I can
get is C++. Even if I were a programmer, I would probably need to use
an 'approved' programming language, probably C++ in these days.

In this environment, If I want to stick with Wirth-style languages
or something in that flavor (Ada) I've got to shop the free circuits.

For Ada, my only choice is GNAT. As a matter of fact, GNU Pascal
may be the only other choice besides C/C++, and I suspect it's so
far out of vogue by now that it hasn't been ported to both AIX/6000
and OS/2.

C/C++ has swept the industry so pervasively that I suspect there
won't be a big compiler market anywhere else for some time. For now,
programming languages like Ada or Wirth-family are relegated to
'secret weapon' status, for software houses that want to bring out
less buggy, more maintainable software and aren't afraid to buck
trends to do it. (my opinion)

Dale Pontius
(NOT speaking for IBM)