Re: why not "standardize" the Booch Components? (was Re: is Ada dying?)

["Marin David Condic" <dont.bother.mcondic.auntie.spam@[acm.org>]

People regularly use the standard function libraries supplied with C. They
also regularly use the standard libraries provided by Ada. I think there
might be a different perception of a library that comes along with most/all
compilers versus one that is downloaded off the net.

People might presume that something that comes with the compiler is of
better quality and more likely to be portable. You get some library off the
net and you don't know if it will work with all compilers in all
environments and you might wonder about its reliability and quality. One
might also start presuming that a library distributed with a compiler is
something they can call their vendor and complain about and get something
done to fix it. Downloading it from some website free of charge might lead
people to assume they are on their own and no bug fixes will ever come
unless they do it themselves.

(Side bar: How many times have we seen posts from Ada newbies talking about
C/C++ ways of doing things and ultimately they are presuming that some
function they are used to using is part of the language? It may only be a
function that came with one specific compiler or maybe an OS call, but they
*think* it is a standard C/C++ feature. Our arguing against that ignorance
may be noble, but it might be better to simply work with it. If a number of
vendors provided some common component library with their distributions,
you'd have folks going "No. Look. In Ada I can do XYZ and in your language
you can't!!!")

It isn't right or fair - its just the way things are. Compilers may come
with crappy libraries and Netware might be rock-solid, but it is a matter of
perception. And as an old friend of mine was fond of saying "Perception *is*
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/


"Lutz Donnerhacke" <lutz@iks-jena.de> wrote in message
news:slrn9sdbi9.k4.lutz@taranis.iks-jena.de...
>
> This is correct only if your apply a pure rational view. Unfortunly
serveral
> programmers can't sleep when using a forein - not standard - library.
> Including myself.