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From: porco@stat.Berkeley.EDU (Travis C. Porco)
Subject: Re: Assistance needed
Date: 1998/07/29
Message-ID: <6pmasv$6t5$1@agate.berkeley.edu>#1/1
X-Deja-AN: 375896172
References: <35BCF867.E7EA0EF0@catalina-inter.net>
 <6pm0aq$8bu$1@uuneo.neosoft.com> <6pmanb$6qu$1@agate.berkeley.edu>
Organization: Statistics Dept., U. C. Berkeley
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Date: 1998-07-29T00:00:00+00:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>

I apologize for this "language war" post; I have lurked here for years,
learning things, but usually abort this sort of post before sending it;
this time I hit send instead of abort.  Oh well, I meant every word of
it.  

In article <6pmanb$6qu$1@agate.berkeley.edu>,
Travis C. Porco <porco@stat.Berkeley.EDU> wrote:
>In article <6pm0aq$8bu$1@uuneo.neosoft.com>,
>Robert B. Love  <rlove@antispam.neosoft.com> wrote:
>>In <35BCF867.E7EA0EF0@catalina-inter.net> "Chris Sparks (aka Mr. Ada)" 
>>wrote:
>>> to quote "BAD" examples of C++ usage on projects.

>>> Examples I have seen are:
>>>   Navy plight with Windows NT
>>>   Colorado Airport baggage snafu

>>If memory serves, the language used in the Denver baggage system had
>>nothing to do with the problem.  The system was poorly designed, it
>>ran open loop and used timing to know when bags were in a certain area,
>>not a sensor.  As much as I'm pro Ada I can't see blaming the choice
>>of C++.  Double check this.
>
>>Of course you could say anyone silly enough to try this open loop
>>strategy would be silly enough to use C++ but I wouldn't go that
>>far.
>
>Aside from the Joyner paper, which I'm sure you've seen, I don't know
>of much.  There is very little good data on programming languages,
>and a lot of hot air (computing is very emotional).  I only do small
>time one-person stuff, where programmer time is at a premium, and I
>learned a long time ago that (1) programming is extremely demanding,
>and (2) anything that lightens the load is a big help.  
>
>So I won't
>do imperative programming in anything other than Ada; the attention
>to readability and "human factors" in general in the language design
>is a Good Thing!  (We need _a priori_ reasons for language choice,
>since there is no good data; to me, one significant fact about Ada
>is the fact that human factors played a conscious role in the design.)
>
>When Ada83 first came out, a lot of hackers rejected it because of
>its complexity, and association with the military (the notion of 
>"private" types was particularly offensive to some people).  But a few
>years later, after straining at this gnat, they swallowed a camel:
>C--.  I made a real effort to learn C++, spending all together several
>months, and it's just too difficult to bother with; the juice isn't
>worth the squeeze.  That's just one person's self-selected testimonial,
>so it's not worth diddly-squat as data, but there you have it.  
>
>-- 
>Travis      **standard disclaimers apply**
>
>"The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly
>is to fill the world with fools."  --Herbert Spencer


-- 
Travis      **standard disclaimers apply**

"The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly
is to fill the world with fools."  --Herbert Spencer