From: Robert Dewar <dewar@gnat.com>
Subject: Re: GNAT -vs- ObjectAda (was Re: where is the faq)
Date: 1999/08/04
Date: 1999-08-04T00:00:00+00:00 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <7o8aq0$j7n$1@nnrp1.deja.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: _Fxp3.2745$U4.115180@clnws01.we.mediaone.net
In article <_Fxp3.2745$U4.115180@clnws01.we.mediaone.net>,
pascmartin@mail.earthlink.net (Pascal F. Martin) wrote:
> My company, which is providing centralized train control
> system (no Ada: all C, C++ and Tcl), sometime must start user
> training with a dumbed down course on "what is a mouse, how to
> move it and what is this strange arrow on the TV set". These
> persons then will control complete mass transit systems from
> their multihead PCs.
No, there is never a situation in which you "must" follow this
very unwise procedure which is designed to produce disasters.
The idea that you can educate people to be effective programmers
in this way is a manager's fantasy. You may get people to the
point where they can write somewhat-working code, but that's
about it.
An analogous statement would be something like "our company
is in the business of putting on piano recitals in major
concert halls. But most typical folks don't know know anything
about music. Sometimes we must start training concert pianists
with dumbed down courses that start out at the level of "what
is the difference between a white key and a black key on the
piano". Yes, you might be able to train people who could play
the notes more or less correctly, but you will not get competent
musicians this way.
Proper training is an essential for quality code. Training
involves MUCH more than just learning to code in some computer
language. In particular, programmers need an introduction to the
notions of formal reasoning, especially if they are going to be
working in safety critical real time areas.
Robert Dewar
Ada Core Technologies
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next prev parent reply other threads:[~1999-08-04 0:00 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 22+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
1999-07-14 0:00 where is the faq Rick Sutcliffe
1999-07-14 0:00 ` David Botton
1999-07-15 0:00 ` Ted Dennison
1999-07-16 0:00 ` David Kristola
1999-07-16 0:00 ` Ted Dennison
1999-07-16 0:00 ` tmoran
1999-07-16 0:00 ` Stanley R. Allen
1999-07-17 0:00 ` GNAT -vs- ObjectAda (was Re: where is the faq) Steve Doiel
1999-07-17 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-07-26 0:00 ` Pascal F. Martin
1999-07-26 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-07-29 0:00 ` Pascal F. Martin
1999-07-30 0:00 ` Ted Dennison
1999-08-03 0:00 ` Pascal F. Martin
1999-08-03 0:00 ` jerry
1999-08-04 0:00 ` Robert Dewar [this message]
1999-08-04 0:00 ` Samuel T. Harris
1999-07-19 0:00 ` Ted Dennison
1999-07-19 0:00 ` Gautier
1999-07-17 0:00 ` where is the faq Robert Dewar
1999-07-17 0:00 ` Robert Dewar
1999-07-25 0:00 ` tmoran
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