From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID, LOTS_OF_MONEY autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,909eec8c28e49f5b X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public From: "Marin David Condic, 561.796.8997, M/S 731-93" Subject: Re: NRC Study Report Date: 1996/11/02 Message-ID: <96110212181443@psavax.pwfl.com>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 194355878 sender: Ada programming language comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU x-vms-to: SMTP%"INFO-ADA@VM1.NODAK.EDU" newsgroups: comp.lang.ada x-vms-cc: CONDIC Date: 1996-11-02T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: Susan Carlson writes: > 1. Require Ada for DoD warfighting software; > Does this mean only for software that drives a tank or aims a gun? Or does it include command&control, etc.? What was once referred to as "Mission Critical" software seems to me to encompass "warfighting" software - is this (W.F.S/W) a subset of "Mission Critical?" > 2. Drop Ada requirement for other DoD software; > I thought that the current requirement was strictly for "Mission Critical" and never encompassed things like payroll programs. (although it wouldn't be discouraged.) Perhaps my ignorance is showing. > 3. Invest $15M/year for Ada infrastructure - or drop > Ada requirement entirely; > Are you sure that's enough? I think GNAT was one of the smartest decisions ever made in promoting widespread use of Ada - make a good quality compiler available free to anyone who wants it. If DoD would drop a significant chunk of change into developing support tools (targeted to at least a PC/Windows environment) and again make them available in the same way GNAT is, (Oh. Yeah. Spend a few bucks for *advertizing* that fact as well!) I think we'd see a dramatic increase in Ada usage in many fields. Here's my initial shopping list - demonstrating that $15m is probably not nearly enough: Visual Programming Tool - Draw logic diagrams which can be "compiled" to Ada source. GUI builder (It would be darned nice to see one of these things which let you actually maintain the GUI software through the builder. And yes, it *is* possible, but it would be a lot of work to make one that did.) Avionics quality compiler targeted to popular embedded processors. Configuration management/library system to support building/maintaining large software projects. Simulators/Debuggers/Static Analyzers/Dynamic Analyzers/etc. Automated test tools (Analyze a source code module, generate test inputs, run & verify results) The list could go on and on. If anyone at DoD would like me to help them spend some money, I'd be glad to take the job! MDC Marin David Condic, Senior Computer Engineer ATT: 561.796.8997 M/S 731-96 Technet: 796.8997 Pratt & Whitney, GESP Fax: 561.796.4669 P.O. Box 109600 Internet: CONDICMA@PWFL.COM West Palm Beach, FL 33410-9600 Internet: CONDIC@FLINET.COM =============================================================================== "Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend; inside a dog, it's too dark to read..." -- Groucho Marx ===============================================================================