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=-0.4 required=5.0 tests=AC_FROM_MANY_DOTS,BAYES_00 autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 1143c4,7d107e452bdd8496 X-Google-Attributes: gid1143c4,public X-Google-Thread: 115aec,7d107e452bdd8496 X-Google-Attributes: gid115aec,public X-Google-Thread: 103376,1db77fbb2768946e X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2001-10-01 14:15:03 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!sn-xit-02!sn-xit-01!supernews.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!newsfeeds.belnet.be!news.belnet.be!psinet-eu-nl!psiuk-p4!uknet!psiuk-n!news.pace.co.uk!nh.pace.co.uk!not-for-mail From: "Marin David Condic" Newsgroups: linux.dev.kernel,comp.realtime,comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Is Linux right for Embedded? Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2001 17:05:45 -0400 Organization: Posted on a server owned by Pace Micro Technology plc Message-ID: <9palrb$g44$1@nh.pace.co.uk> References: <3BB69F21.B5AA7451@intercom.com> <9p84tm$1ovg$1@news.cybercity.dk> <9pa0in$8bb$1@nh.pace.co.uk> <9pa9of$9me$1@xmission.xmission.com> <9padet$d5j$1@nh.pace.co.uk> <9pagrn01n6v@drn.newsguy.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: dhcp-200-133.miami.pace.co.uk X-Trace: nh.pace.co.uk 1001970347 16516 136.170.200.133 (1 Oct 2001 21:05:47 GMT) X-Complaints-To: newsmaster@news.cam.pace.co.uk NNTP-Posting-Date: 1 Oct 2001 21:05:47 GMT X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4522.1200 X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4522.1200 Xref: archiver1.google.com linux.dev.kernel:4089 comp.realtime:3916 comp.lang.ada:13598 Date: 2001-10-01T21:05:47+00:00 List-Id: For some parts of the system, Java is being employed. It is being considered for other aspects of the system, but I really can't say too much about it right now. While Java cuts down on some of the more eggregious sins of C/C++, it isn't nearly what I would consider "safety critical". If my little set-top box crashes the software, it just holds onto the current channel and reboots itself. Worst case: someone misses a few minutes of "The Simpsons" while the reboot happens. Not "A Good Thing", but hardly the same as a billion dollar rocket crashing in the ocean. The semantics of Java and the JVM are not exactly designed with high error prevention in mind. For some things, that's O.K. but I'd rather fly in something with more safety. Where I think Java has an edge on productivity (and possibly reliability) is the availability of large class libraries to do lots of the graphics work. Even if it isn't as good as Ada in terms of preventing errors, it does buy you a lot of time to market by leveraging someone else's code. Note: AFAIK, the libraries are *not* part of whatever might be considered "Standard Java", per se. They come along for the ride mostly because Java comes from Sun with the libraries & there aren't a whole lot of competing Java implementations. Ada lacks a "standard" collection of class libraries mostly because Ada is a "standard" that isn't owned by one source and it aims at a variety of problem domains wherein the class libraries might be irrelevant or impossible. There are a variety of libraries available though, so it isn't like you can't get there - just not a single standard library. It sure would be nice for Ada to have a de-facto "standard" GUI library - a couple seem to be emerging as possible contenders. I think if Ada had all of this bundled together in a development kit, it would offer more than what developers get with Java. Obviously, something like GtkAda does a lot to bring about this sort of reality. MDC -- Marin David Condic Senior Software Engineer Pace Micro Technology Americas www.pacemicro.com Enabling the digital revolution e-Mail: marin.condic@pacemicro.com Web: http://www.mcondic.com/ "mike@nospam" wrote in message news:9pagrn01n6v@drn.newsguy.com... > > Have you considered Java for the tv setbox project? at least Java is closer > to Ada in terms of saftey and quality, but it sort of looks like C, so others > might not fight it as hard as Ada. >