Re: Next Ada compiler for Debian: the votes so far

[Ludovic Brenta <ludovic@ludovic-brenta.org>]

"Dr. Adrian Wrigley" <amtw@linuxchip.demon.co.uk.uk.uk> writes:
> On Thu, 22 Sep 2005 04:50:45 -0700, Ludovic Brenta wrote:
>
>> The creation of commercial applications is not closed off; anyone is
>> still free to use GCC or GNAT 3.15p.  The additional convenience has
>> just not been provided to those who want to do proprietary software.
>
> The problem is that this will no longer compile "Ada" next year,
> since "Ada" will mean the new standard.  GNAT 3.15p will become about
> as useful as a free Fortan 66 compiler.
>

Ada 95 will remain just as useful as it is today.  It will not become
less powerful, it will not lose features, and it will not suddenly
cause your software not to work anymore.

The only thing that can make GNAT 3.15p obsolete and break your
software is a policy decision by the maintainers of the platforms
where your software runs.  When Microsoft decided to kill DOS, people
who made DOS software had to move on or be left behind.

But what is the platform that you are targetting today, and that
concerns you?  If you distribute proprietary software, you can always
make your own platform, or distribute GNAT 3.15p binaries with your
software.

> (and the situation is worse with things like GLADE, and GtkAda, the
> GMGPL versions of which will become obsolescent)

This is speculation; the GMGPL version is in AdaCore's public CVS
repository and nothing indicates that their license will change, or
that they will notbe maintained anymore.

-- 
Ludovic Brenta.