Re: Is the "Ada mandate" being reconsidered?

[jsa@organon.com (Jon S Anthony)]

In article <Dsx9Dt.y3.0.-s@inmet.camb.inmet.com> stt@henning.camb.inmet.com (Tucker Taft) writes:

> Note that this approach to having multiple compiler vendors
> use a common front end has a long history in the C, C++, and Fortran 
> marketplace, and is even increasing in the C++ marketplace with the 
> growing predominance of Edison Design Group's C++ front end.

Exactly.  This is precisely the sort of thing that we should all be
_ecstatic_ about: A first step toward true interoperable reuse of
software, "OK, fine - I'll buy your frontend because it is better than
ACME's, and put our special purpose backend for the DELTA 3000
embedded chip on it.  Great!  All your current users will
automatically be quite familiar with the look and feel and use of the
thing."

The HW guys have known this "secret" for ages.


> The justification is simply that the more people who use the same
> front end, the fewer bugs will be left in it for *you* to stumble
> over.

Exactly.

> In fact, the proliferation of Ada 83 front ends I believe
> was one of the major problems with the Ada 83 marketplace.

Abso-fraggen-lutely.

>[spot on stuff snipped]


> With the new, smaller number of front ends, more coordination 
> is likely (e.g. the GNAT and the Intermetrics folks keep in 
> close touch on pragmas and attributes, etc), and you can
> more likely find another compiler based on the same front end on 
> your next target.

Yes, the benefits of this really can't be overestimated at present.


> As an anecdote, there are several users who have found that 
> the biggest expense in porting from Ada 83 to Ada 95 is the inevitable
> expense in porting from front-end to front-end, not in accommodating 83=>95 
> language changes

Quite true.  For us this accounted for _all_ the significant problems
in moving a piece of legacy code to Ada95.


>  Having lots of front ends out there is not 
> necessarily a "good thing" given limited overall resources...

You are being too kind.  It would be the kiss of death for Ada.


/Jon
-- 
Jon Anthony
Organon Motives, Inc.
1 Williston Road, Suite 4
Belmont, MA 02178

617.484.3383
jsa@organon.com