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=-1.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 1014db,dab7d920e4340f12 X-Google-Attributes: gid1014db,public X-Google-Thread: 103376,dab7d920e4340f12 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public From: Hugh Dunne Subject: Re: C is 'better' than Ada ... NOT!! Date: 1996/07/08 Message-ID: <4rqtdk$nge@romeo.logica.co.uk>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 167174045 references: <31daad10.57288085@netline-fddi.jpl.nasa.gov> <4rgqp7$iv6@btmpjg.god.bel.alcatel.be> <31e02c32.342948604@netline-fddi.jpl.nasa.gov> content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii organization: Logica UK plc x-url: news:31e02c32.342948604@netline-fddi.jpl.nasa.gov mime-version: 1.0 newsgroups: comp.lang.ada,comp.lang.c x-mailer: Mozilla 1.12IS (X11; I; IRIX 5.3 IP22) Date: 1996-07-08T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: kdq@emoryi.jpl.nasa.gov (Kevin D. Quitt) wrote: >On Fri, 5 Jul 1996 09:29:56 +0100, Peter Amey wrote: >>"The superior pilot uses his superior judgement to avoid situations that >>would require his superior skill" [I love that quote!] >> >>I use Ada precisely because it avoids the need constantly to demonstrate >>my superior skill :-) > >I do the same in C. The problem is that Ada won't *let* you use your superior >skill, i.e., nothing is gained by it. For someone who knows what they're >doing, it's just as easy to write good, clean, safe code in C (or assembly, or >*any* language) as it is in Ada. There are always ways of getting around Ada restrictions - using unchecked conversion, pragma interface etc. The point is that you can't do it by accident - you have to take explicit steps to short-circuit the safeguards, which hopefully will make you stop and think about what you are doing. Re the second point: IN THEORY it's possible to write highly virtuous code in any language and crappy code in Ada (and I've seen plenty of the latter.) In practice, any help which the compiler offers you to avoid mistakes should be gratefully accepted! I get very impatient with people who complain about the compiler taking away their freedom to be creative etc. This is a prima donna attitude. If I'm sitting on a plane controlled by a software fly-by-wire system, I want it to be solidly engineered by competent developers who use all appropriate tools, not "created" by software "wizards"! -- --------------- http://www.vjf.com/PUBLIC/86/27186.html --------------- Hugh Dunne/Logica UK Ltd/Stephenson House/75 Hampstead Rd/London NW1 2PL The above are strictly my own personal opinions | dunneh@lhd.logica.com and in no way reflect the opinions of Logica. | +44 171 446-1608