Re: Reasons NOT To Choose Ada

[cts@alpinet.com (Craig Spannring)]

Steve Jones - JON <Steve.Jones@eurocontrol.fr> wrote:

>Michiel Perdeck wrote:
>> 

>> 2. Learning the language takes long (= expensive).
>I'd say learning C takes longer as explaining pointers, memory
>deallocation etc to new programmers takes ages (and they still get it
>wrong).

Learning pointers, arrays, and in/out parameters in C is difficult and
you can't write anything more than 'hello world' without understanding
these concepts.  Ada has some difficult concepts, but you only need
the simple concepts for most programs.  Overall I would guess someone
with no experience could be productive sooner in Ada than in C.  Are
there any studies on the learning curves of C++ vs Ada?  

Now of course most of the programmers out there looking for work
already know C or C++.

>6. There is no VisualAda or Borland Ada.  Most Ada compilers are still
>rather poor. They tell you what the problem is in the same way a C
>compiler does.

You might want to check out Object Ada from Thompson.  They have some
sort of visual layout program in their professional edition.  I
haven't tried it out since I'm being paid to do C++ and $595 is a bit
steep for a toy to use at home.