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From: Robert Dewar <robert_dewar@my-dejanews.com>
Subject: Re: Does this model work ?
Date: 1999/05/16
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Date: 1999-05-16T00:00:00+00:00
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In article <373E24C3.D77A6837@easystreet.com>,
  Al Christians <achrist@easystreet.com> wrote:
> Pascal Obry wrote:
> >
> > I've not use a language yet that it more portable than Ada.
> >
>
> Here's a hypothetical question that I hope you don't think too
> impertinent, and I would be most interested in your learned
> opinion:

It's not a hypothetical question but a real one. Full Ada 95
support is available from more than one vendor in 64-bit mode.
For example, GNAT for DEC Unix fully supports 64-bit mode and
has for several years.

>     How much of the Ada source code available on your web site
>     can be expected to run without change on a 64-bit machine,
>     under a  64-bit OS, compiled with a 64-bit Ada compiler,
>     when all of these become economically available?  (within
>     a couple of years, I hope)

All well written Ada code can be expected to run. 100% of the
GNAT code runs with zero changes on 64-bit machines, and more
to the point, no changes were required in the first place to
support 64-bit mode, this was an essentially trivial
requirement. The couple of years is I assume referring only
to Wintel machines, most other architectures already made the
64-bit transition, and many large 64-bit applications in Ada
are already deployed.

> If Ada code has a portabilitiy advantage, shouldn't Ada
> advocates be planning to advance the language's status as the
> world struggles with the shift to 64 bit machines over the
> next few years?  (32-bit PC's  from Intel were on the street
> in 1987, but 32-bit software only became
> the norm around 1997)

That's certainly reasonable. As I note above, we are not talking
about a change for the future, but one that has already
happened. Nearly all major hardware vendors supply 64-bit
compatible machines. Yes, Wintel lags behind, and given
Microsoft's track record, it would not be surprising if that
lag is a long one (Microsoft took nearly a decade to fully
upgrade form 16-bit to 32-bit mode).
>
> Al
>


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