Re: MIS Applications in Ada?

Re: MIS Applications in Ada?

[Dr. Richard Botting]

Dani Zweig (dani@netcom.com) wrote:
: We've been conducting research on the pros and cons of using Ada for
: MIS (AIS) applications, particularly within DoD.  So far, at least,
: we've been having trouble finding a track record to examine.  Presumably,
: we haven't been looking in the right places.

: Can anyone point me to MIS/Ada applications?

: I'm particularly interested in large, successful projects within the
: Department of Defense, but small projects or unsuccessful projects,
: or private-sector projects (or any combinations thereof) are also of
: interest.  

It is highly probable that a competent DP/MIS shop would
reject Ada out of hand as being inappropriate for the job.

Ada 83 has a problem with MIS/DP applications that need a MONEY
data type.   Little things like exact fixed point decimal
arithmetic are needed by accountants and people alike!

In Ada 9x there is a commercial annex that - if provided -
should give a clumsy version of the COBOL 'MOVE' and 'COMPUTE'
verbs from the 1960's.

Disclaimer:  This my own a bee in my bonnet
	for which no organization has any responsibillity for.

Re: MIS Applications in Ada?

[Dani Zweig]

dick@silicon.csci.csusb.edu (Dr. Richard Botting):
>>Can anyone point me to MIS/Ada applications?
>
>It is highly probable that a competent DP/MIS shop would
>reject Ada out of hand as being inappropriate for the job.

I should have added one more qualifier:  Can anyone point me to
*completed* applications.  There actually are a number of
works in progress, if only because of the pressure of the Ada
mandate.

advTHANKSance.

-----
Dani Zweig
dani@netcom.com

  Watership Down:  
  You've read the book.  You've seen the movie.  Now eat the stew!

Re: MIS Applications in Ada?

[Robert I. Eachus]

In article <1993Jun2.201324.28395@csus.edu> dick@silicon.csci.csusb.edu (Dr. Ri
chard Botting) writes:

   > It is highly probable that a competent DP/MIS shop would
   > reject Ada out of hand as being inappropriate for the job.

   > Ada 83 has a problem with MIS/DP applications that need a MONEY
   > data type.   Little things like exact fixed point decimal
   > arithmetic are needed by accountants and people alike!

   1) several available Ada compilers provide support for decimal
      'SMALLs.  The fact that Ada 83 (the language) gives you a choice
      puts it in the same category as COBOL and PL/I.  Not all Ada
      compilers support these features, because not all Ada compilers
      target that market.

   2) If you want to use decimal arithmetic in Ada, and your compiler
      compiler doesn't support decimal 'SMALL (or even if it does),
      run don't walk to your favorite ftp source and get the ADAR
      packages we built.  (The ADAR packages provide not only pure
      decimal arithmetic, but have both efficient > 14-digit types and
      "arbitrary" precision arithmetic.)

   > In Ada 9x there is a commercial annex that - if provided -
   > should give a clumsy version of the COBOL 'MOVE' and 'COMPUTE'
   > verbs from the 1960's.

   1) I don't understand this sentence. If you are talking about the
      fact that the IS annex will require decimal arithmetic support,
      this is really only a documentation change from Ada 83.

   2) Whether or not the IS annex is provided, there will be much
      better support for decimal arithmetic in Ada 9X, even if only
      because other features will make Ada 9X ADAR nicer and easier to
      use.

   > Disclaimer:  This my own a bee in my bonnet
   >   for which no organization has any responsibillity for.

   This is sheer intellectual laziness which you alone are responsible
for.  If you care about decimal arithmetic, get a compiler that
supports it, or use ADAR.  If no one asks compiler vendors for
"optional" features, they will never be supported.

--

					Robert I. Eachus

with Standard_Disclaimer;
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