Re: Ada 9X objectives

[billwolf%hazel.cs.clemson.edu@hubcap.clemson.edu (William Thomas Wolfe, 2847 )]

From ryer@inmet.inmet.com:
> If it costs $500k each to add a high quality multiple-inheritance type
> system to Ada compilers, and there are 15 separate baselines (FE's),
> then the cost of the feature (at high quality) is $7.5M.  Will enough
> C++ and Eiffel users go out and buy one to cover the investment?  

   Look at it this way: if Ada 83 is not upgraded to reflect recent
   advances in software engineering technology, then your investment
   in Ada in general will go down the tubes along with the language.

   We already know from a number of articles (e.g., "Comprehensive 
   Scheduling Controls for Ada Tasking", Tzilla Elrad, Ada Letters, 
   Fall 1988, and "Programming Atomic Actions in Ada", A. Burns and 
   A. J. Wellings, Ada Letters, September/October 1989) that the 
   entire Ada tasking system is going to have to be overhauled.  

   A good inheritance/class system in Ada 9X should be introduced now
   along with this overhaul of the tasking system; I personally think
   that if this is done, the resulting growth of Ada will provide rich 
   rewards to the compiler vendors who followed.  

   Comments were made at Tri-Ada '88 to the effect that while there are
   real risks associated with changing (to Ada), there are even larger 
   risks (competitive risks) associated with NOT changing, and this is 
   what must be brought home to those organizations which are still using
   the older languages.  Perhaps we would do well to heed our own advice.
 

   Bill Wolfe, wtwolfe@hubcap.clemson.edu