Rational releases a C++/Smalltalk tool ???

[srctran@world.std.com (Gregory Aharonian)]

    You can't seriously expect people to believe that Ada is better and more
cost effective when leading Ada vendors are doing everything they can to make
non-Ada languages as cost effective.  Case in point:

    Rational announces a new C++/Smalltalk object tool for client/server
    development.  Rational Rose/Object Pro automates the production of
    ObjectPro code.  ObjectPro is Trinzic Corporation's new object-oriented
    development environment that combines the best aspects of C++ and
    Smalltalk in a new generation OO tool.
    "The integration of Rational Rose and ObjectPro yields a joint modeling
    and construction environment that makes developers the clear winners in
    adopting and deploying object-oriented solutions", said the chief
    technical officer of Trinzic.

These offerings by Rational, and similar ones like Alsys' continual marketing
of its C++ TeleUse GUI code generator, undermine any assertions that Ada is
more cost effective when the leading Ada vendors behave to the contrary (and
former vendors like IBM which has killed any chance for Ada in the MIS world
with its very public and very emphatic embracing of C++ and Smalltalk).
Contrast that with another announcement that appeared this month:

    ParcPlace Systems, a Sunnyvale provider of Smalltalk technology, recently
    sold its C++ Business Unit to Openware Technologies (Jacksonville, FL),
    who will assume marketing and support of the C++ development tool
    ObjectBuilder.  Openware will retain all C++ Business Unit employees.

Is it a stretch to assume that ParcPlace wants to devote all of its resources
and marketing message to Smalltalk, realizing the confusion and hypocrisy of
advocating two languages?  I think not.

What kills Ada is the hypocrisy and incompetence underlying Ada activities
and policies.  Until the DoD confronts these issues head-on and openly, no
one anywhere is going to believe that the DoD is serious about Ada, and as
an extension, to take Ada seriously.

Some of us tried to bring this up at last year's Ada Summit, and were ignored.
Why?

Greg Aharonian