From: ok@goanna.cs.rmit.edu.au (Richard A. O'Keefe)
Subject: Re: Ada and Automotive Industry
Date: 1996/12/03
Date: 1996-12-03T00:00:00+00:00 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <580ec9$nq0$1@goanna.cs.rmit.edu.au> (raw)
In-Reply-To: JSA.96Nov26195822@alexandria
I'd like to make two observations about Ada and the 8051.
(a) There is a claim that because the number of _projects_ using Ada-for-8051
would be small (which is not perfectly clear to me) even though the
volume of systems _shipped_ containing code so produced might be
astronomical, the return on investment to Ada compiler companies would
not be sufficiently high to warrant them developing an Ada-for-8051
compiler.
It could *still* be true that it would pay the automotive industry
(or the smart-card industry; both of them are going to have very
high reliability standards) to fund the development of such a compiler.
(b) It is true that the 8051 is a small and strange machine, and that much
of the stuff in Ada 95 might not be wanted.
It could *still* be true that an Ada *subset* might be a very good
fit to the 8051.
What I have in mind here is that
- there is a fair bit of stuff that happens at *compile* time in Ada
which is useful for improving the maintainability of code. This
stuff makes Ada *compilers* harder to write than C *compilers*, but
it need have no adverse effects on *code* size.
- there is a fair bit of stuff in *standard* Ada (detailed control over
sizes and layouts of objects, even detailed control over placement of
variables) which could be extremely useful for 8051 programming (because
of its non-uniform memory and the importance of packing when you have
so little memory), which is *not* standard in C. One such feature is
machine-code insertions.
I therefore believe that it would be perfectly possible to design a
proper subset of Ada 95---call it Ada 8051---such that any legal Ada 8051
library unit would be a legal Ada 95 library unit with the same meaning,
but sufficiently restricted to permit the automatic generation of code at
least as good as C for the 8051 (probably better), with smooth escapes to
machine code where necessary, but machine code subject to encapsulation.
I hope someone does this; the thought of hundreds of millions of smart cards
programmed in C or assembler really doesn't thrill me.
--
Govt saves money by cutting legal aid, guilty plea rates soar;
poverty is a crime! (See also recent Sci.Am.)
Richard A. O'Keefe; http://www.cs.rmit.edu.au/%7Eok; RMIT Comp.Sci.
next prev parent reply other threads:[~1996-12-03 0:00 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 163+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
1996-11-01 0:00 Ada and Automotive Industry ETHoierman
1996-11-05 0:00 ` Stanley R. Allen
1996-11-06 0:00 ` Stanley R. Allen
1996-11-06 0:00 ` James Thiele
1996-11-06 0:00 ` Stanley R. Allen
1996-11-07 0:00 ` Dale Stanbrough
1996-11-11 0:00 ` Ken Tindell
1996-11-11 0:00 ` Matthew Heaney
1996-11-11 0:00 ` Philip Brashear
1996-11-11 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-11-07 0:00 ` Frank Manning
1996-11-11 0:00 ` Frank Manning
1996-11-13 0:00 ` Richard Riehle
1996-11-14 0:00 ` Jack Patteeuw
1996-11-16 0:00 ` David Taylor
1996-11-20 0:00 ` Richard Riehle
1996-11-21 0:00 ` Dave Wood
1996-11-21 0:00 ` Art Schwarz
1996-11-22 0:00 ` Robert B. Love
1996-11-22 0:00 ` Ken Tindell
1996-11-24 0:00 ` "Paul E. Bennett"
1996-11-18 0:00 ` David Taylor
1996-11-17 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-11-18 0:00 ` Ken Tindell
1996-11-22 0:00 ` Richard Kenner
1996-11-23 0:00 ` James Thiele
1996-11-27 0:00 ` Richard Kenner
1996-11-22 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-12-05 0:00 ` Michael Warner
1996-11-20 0:00 ` Richard Riehle
1996-11-23 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-11-25 0:00 ` Richard Riehle
1996-11-27 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-11-27 0:00 ` Ken Garlington
1996-12-01 0:00 ` Richard Riehle
1996-11-27 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-11-29 0:00 ` Richard Riehle
1996-12-02 0:00 ` Chris Hills
1996-12-04 0:00 ` Jon S Anthony
1996-11-25 0:00 ` Ken Tindell
1996-11-24 0:00 ` Richard Kenner
1996-11-25 0:00 ` Ken Tindell
1996-11-26 0:00 ` John Dammeyer
1996-11-26 0:00 ` Ken Garlington
1996-11-25 0:00 ` Richard Riehle
[not found] ` <Pine.GSO.3.95.961120154239.3 <Pine.GSO.3.95.961201100430.21598A-100000@nunic.nu.edu>
1996-12-01 0:00 ` James Thiele
1996-11-27 0:00 ` Jon S Anthony
1996-12-03 0:00 ` Richard A. O'Keefe [this message]
1996-12-03 0:00 ` Ted Dennison
1996-12-11 0:00 ` Richard Riehle
1996-12-13 0:00 ` Ted Dennison
1996-11-13 0:00 ` Ken Tindell
1996-11-11 0:00 ` Norman H. Cohen
1996-11-14 0:00 ` Robert I. Eachus
1996-11-15 0:00 ` William P. Milam
1996-11-08 0:00 ` Ken Garlington
1996-11-08 0:00 ` Robert I. Eachus
1996-11-08 0:00 ` James Thiele
1996-11-08 0:00 ` nasser
1996-11-09 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-11-22 0:00 ` Dirk Dickmanns
1996-11-10 0:00 ` Matthew Heaney
1996-11-11 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-11-11 0:00 ` James Thiele
1996-11-12 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-11-12 0:00 ` Richard A. O'Keefe
1996-11-12 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-11-13 0:00 ` Richard A. O'Keefe
1996-11-14 0:00 ` William P. Milam
1996-11-19 0:00 ` Richard A. O'Keefe
1996-11-15 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-11-15 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-11-16 0:00 ` Adam Beneschan
1996-11-22 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-11-16 0:00 ` Geert Bosch
1996-11-21 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-11-11 0:00 ` Ken Tindell
1996-11-11 0:00 ` Matthew Heaney
1996-11-11 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
[not found] ` <847341612snz@transcontech.co.uk>
1996-11-10 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-11-12 0:00 ` "Paul E. Bennett"
1996-11-15 0:00 ` Robert I. Eachus
1996-11-15 0:00 ` William P. Milam
1996-11-15 0:00 ` John Howard
1996-11-15 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-11-18 0:00 ` Ken Tindell
1996-11-18 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-11-19 0:00 ` Richard A. O'Keefe
1996-12-05 0:00 ` Michael Warner
1996-12-06 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-11-21 0:00 ` James Weaver
1996-11-21 0:00 ` Robert I. Eachus
1996-11-22 0:00 ` Jon S Anthony
1996-11-22 0:00 ` Chris Hills
1996-11-23 0:00 ` Ralph Paul
1996-11-24 0:00 ` Otto Lind
1996-11-25 0:00 ` Richard Kenner
1996-11-28 0:00 ` Eyal Ben-Avraham
1996-11-29 0:00 ` Richard Kenner
1996-11-25 0:00 ` Robert I. Eachus
1996-11-26 0:00 ` Jon S Anthony
1996-11-26 0:00 ` Jon S Anthony
1996-11-27 0:00 ` Jon S Anthony
1996-11-27 0:00 ` Jon S Anthony
1996-12-01 0:00 ` Chris Hills
1996-12-01 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-12-01 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-12-02 0:00 ` Robert A Duff
1996-12-02 0:00 ` Chris Hills
1996-12-03 0:00 ` Andy Ashworth
1996-12-03 0:00 ` Ian Ward
1996-12-03 0:00 ` George Romanski
1996-12-05 0:00 ` Ken Tindell
1996-12-03 0:00 ` Ken Garlington
1996-12-03 0:00 ` Ted Dennison
1996-12-04 0:00 ` Jon S Anthony
1996-12-11 0:00 ` Robert I. Eachus
1996-12-13 0:00 ` Ted Dennison
1996-12-13 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-12-14 0:00 ` Chris Hills
1996-12-19 0:00 ` Ian Ward
1996-12-17 0:00 ` Robert I. Eachus
1996-12-18 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-12-19 0:00 ` Robert I. Eachus
-- strict thread matches above, loose matches on Subject: below --
1996-11-11 0:00 James Thiele
1996-11-12 0:00 James Thiele
1996-11-12 0:00 James Thiele
1996-11-13 0:00 ` Ken Garlington
1996-11-13 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-11-15 0:00 ` Ken Garlington
1996-11-13 0:00 ` Frank Manning
1996-11-13 0:00 Marin David Condic, 561.796.8997, M/S 731-93
1996-11-13 0:00 ` Ken Garlington
1996-11-24 0:00 Ingemar Persson
1996-11-25 0:00 Ada and automotive industry W. Wesley Groleau (Wes)
1996-11-27 0:00 Ada and Automotive Industry W. Wesley Groleau (Wes)
[not found] <1996Nov30.130532.522@decus.org.nz>
1996-12-02 0:00 ` Ken Garlington
[not found] <1996Dec2.221233.523@decus.org.nz>
1996-12-02 0:00 ` Ken Garlington
1996-12-05 0:00 Franco Mazzanti
1996-12-06 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-12-11 0:00 ` Robert I. Eachus
1996-12-13 0:00 ` Ted Dennison
1996-12-15 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-12-17 0:00 ` Tucker Taft
1996-12-18 0:00 ` Geert Bosch
1996-12-18 0:00 ` Robert A Duff
1996-12-18 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-12-18 0:00 ` Robert A Duff
1996-12-18 0:00 ` Ken Garlington
1996-12-19 0:00 ` Robert A Duff
1996-12-20 0:00 ` Philip Brashear
1996-12-20 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-12-22 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-12-23 0:00 ` Ken Garlington
1996-12-18 0:00 ` Keith Thompson
1996-12-18 0:00 ` Keith Thompson
1996-12-17 0:00 ` Robert I. Eachus
1996-12-10 0:00 Franco Mazzanti
[not found] <1996Dec11.220521.525@decus.org.nz>
1996-12-11 0:00 ` Ken Garlington
1996-12-11 0:00 Franco Mazzanti
1996-12-11 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1996-12-13 0:00 ` Robert I. Eachus
1996-12-13 0:00 Franco Mazzanti
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