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From: rgilbert@unconfigured.xvnews.domain (Bob Gilbert)
Subject: Re: C is 'better' than Ada because...
Date: 1996/07/18
Message-ID: <4slkrn$ofc@zeus.orl.mmc.com>#1/1
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references: <31ebfbd7.330061022@netline-fddi.jpl.nasa.gov>
organization: The unconfigured xvnews people
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newsgroups: comp.lang.ada,comp.lang.c
Date: 1996-07-18T00:00:00+00:00
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In article <31ebfbd7.330061022@netline-fddi.jpl.nasa.gov>, kdq@emoryi.jpl.nasa.gov (Kevin D. Quitt) writes:
> On Mon, 15 Jul 1996 12:19:02 -0400, Tim McGuire <tmcguire@superior.net> wrote:
> 
> >If assembly is just as easy as high-level languages, why were high-level
> >languages created???
> 
> Because the number of lines of code per day per programmer is fairly constant
> regardless of language.  Using high-level languages allows programmer to
> produce more software in a given period.

Productivity is only one issue.  One must also consider portability and
readability.

Code written in a HOL can be (for the most part) simply recompiled for a
different target.  Assembly would require a complete rewrite.  

Code written in a HOL is generally easier to read (by both programmers and
non-programmers).  HOL's, such as Ada, consider self documenting features 
in their design.  Ada is good enough in this aspect than many times it is
considered acceptable to use as PDL for documenting the preliminary design, 
and the subsequent code (with some specific guidelines enforced) may many 
times be submitted for the final design.  Assembly code pretty much
requires a significant amount of supporting documentation be generated in
addition to the code.

-Bob