Re: No call for Ada (was Re: Announcing new scripting/prototyping language)

[Marin David Condic <nobody@noplace.com>]

Ludovic Brenta wrote:
> 
> At least by my definition, a "standard" is an official document
> published by an official standards body such as ISO, ANSI, W3C, IETF,
> or IEEE.
> 
Perhaps technically true, but at the end of the day, it is a distinction 
lost in practical application. Is ISO the only way to have a "standard"? 
Sun is pretty huge in its own right and within the context of the Java 
world, they are as capable of establishing a "standard" as anybody else. 
"Standard" by virtue of the fact that they define what the language is 
and wherever you see "Java" you can count on it containing certain 
things. Its just a "standard" that doesn't make it easy for someone else 
to present a competing implementation.

Standards are a wonderful thing. Everyone should have one of their own. :-)


> 
> But all this is nitpicking.  Marin is right in saying that Java
> appears to have more leverage to people who won't spend time choosing
> the best tools for the job.  They would like an all-in-one,
> one-stop-shop solution for most of their problems, and Java does
> provide that while Ada doesn't.  Unless... you consider Debian :)
> 
I'd differ in this respect: What makes something "The Best Tool For The 
Job"? Ada is superior in some technical aspects to other languages such 
as Java when considering the language definition alone. But if Ada 
doesn't provide as much stuff in its toolbox, isn't that in some respect 
making it a less satisfactory tool? Or if the implementation under 
consideration isn't very good, does it still qualify as the best tool 
just because in theory it could be better?

The best tool for the job is the tool that lets me do the job while 
optimizing cost, schedule and quality. We tend to be convinced that Ada 
offers superior quality when one considers only the language proper. 
That may even be true in most cases, but it often ignores cost and 
schedule in evaluating "The Best Tool For The Job". "Quality" can be a 
relative thing - do I really need gold-plated screws when I'm building a 
birdhouse? Even if Java as a language doesn't detect as many bugs as 
does Ada, the presence of a well worn library means I'm not generating 
new and potentially buggy code to do the same thing. Might that not 
result in a higher quality end product - while reducing my costs and 
improving my schedule?

People don't select Java because they are fools. They often select Java 
over Ada for all sorts of legitimate and important reasons. If we want 
to get them selecting Ada over Java, we have to understand those reasons 
and come to the table being a better satisfier of those needs.

MDC
-- 
======================================================================
Marin David Condic
I work for: http://www.belcan.com/
My project is: http://www.jsf.mil/NSFrames.htm

Send Replies To: m   o   d   c @ a   m   o   g
                    c   n   i       c   .   r

     "Face it ladies, its not the dress that makes you look fat.
     Its the FAT that makes you look fat."

         --  Al Bundy

======================================================================