Re: minimal hardware for ada (newbie)

[Richard D Riehle <laoXhai@ix.netcom.com>]

>The "smallest" processor I found was a 386. Are 16-
>or even 8-bit processors supported, too?

 RR Software once had an Ada 83 compiler, absent tasking
 as I recall, for the Z-80.  It is rather unlikely anyone
 would easily produce a full Ada 95 compiler for most of
 the eight bit machines.  In particular, I do not expect
 to ever see an Ada 95 compiler for the I8051. It is not
 practical, and probably not feasible.

 This is pure conjecture, I suppose.  I know some of the
 GNAT folks disagree with me about the feasibility of Ada
 (1995 standard) on the I8051.  We will probably never know
 about this since no one is taking the trouble to do the port. 

 On the other hand, if someone is talking about a subset of
 Ada, I think that would be both feasible and technically
 desirable. The compile time checking alone would be of benefit
 for many of the applications (especially medical devices) for
 which the I8051 is used. 

 It is probably not economically attractive to port Ada to,
 the eight-bitters, and persuading I8051 programmers to use Ada,
 even  a subset, would be a sales job that would make cleaning the
 Augean stables seem like spring housekeeping.  

 Richard Riehle
 richard@adaworks.com
 http://www.adaworks.com