Re: GNAT Support Costs

["Tarjei T. Jensen" <tarjei.jensen@kvaerner.com>]

Andreas Winckler
>But here are the arguments I'm facing daily which all your arguments
>do not address:
>
>- I don't know Ada an I don't want to learn it

That is a nice one to have on ones resume.

>- Ada is a dieing language

As examplified by the increase in postings on comp.lang.ada

>- too little chances to make career with Ada

The chances are steadily improving AND everything learnt can be re-used with
<your language here>.

>- Ada people are hard to find and expensive

So are _good_ C++/Java programmers.

>- maintenance is paid by the customer


???????????


>- Ada is too big and slow


And C++ is not?? If your C/C++ code checked as much as the code generated by an
Ada compiler your programs would be glacially slow.


>By the way, right now I'm dealing with a core dump in an Ada process.
>Quite bad, that I was always arguing that this does not happen in Ada.

Core dumps will always happen regardless of the language. Any Unix language can
avoid core dumps by providing enough signal handlers. Unhandled signals will
most likely cause a core dump. It is possible to get a core dump even if a
signal is handled, provided that the new signal arrives before the signal
handler is re-installed.

>What I really need is not ammuniton to argue, I have enough of it by
>myself. I'm just sick of arguing alone against lots of C++ and Java
>guys in our company. Ada is good but it's just being rolled over by
>the reality, at least in our company.


The use of Ada seems to be increasing. Notice the steady rise in the number of
messages on comp.lang.ada. The reality is that Ada keeps attracting new people.

One reality is that the use of Python is rising (Linux Journal, december 99).
Most people believe that perl is the big star in scripting. That may change
now. Many seem to find that Python is less work than Perl. How long will it
take before companies now looking for Perl programmers will notice this trend
and start asking for Python programmers? Once Python is on board then Ada
starts to look better.

As more people discovers that C/C++/Java is expensive and take a lot of time to
use, the use of languages like Ada/Delphi/Eiffel will increase. It is probably
just a matter of time before Ada people start to influence the Linux community.
When they do others will be attracted to the language.

How many do we need to get critical mass? Don't know. But the more that is
done, the easier it is for others to re-use.


Greetings,