Re: Interresting thread in comp.lang.eiffel

["Ken Garlington" <Ken.Garlington@computer.org>]

"Bob Allen" <ballen3@email.msn.com> wrote in message
news:#utiFKO7$GA.280@cpmsnbbsa09...
>
> Ken Garlington <Ken.Garlington@computer.org> wrote in message
> news:Yx7b5.13181$7%3.916718@news.flash.net...
> > "Bob Allen" <ballen3@email.msn.com> wrote in message
> > news:#flPTbB7$GA.367@cpmsnbbsa07...
> > > The same applies when you go to build a system based in part or in
whole
> > of
> > > existing components.
> > > You look at the contract that the components offer and decide if the
> terms
> > > are acceptable.
> >
> > This is (potentially) true if you are buying software components.
However,
> > the contractor for Ariane 5 was not buying software components. That's
why
> > this model falls apart for Ariane 5.
> >
>
> The Ariane 5 project "bought" software components from Ariane 4 without
> knowing exactly what they were getting.

Untrue - Arianespace bought an SRI system (a box - a picture of which is at
http://www.flash.net/~kennieg/sextant.jpg ), not a set of software
components. They probably cared as much about the source language in the SRI
as you care about the source language of the software in your car's
computers.  OTOH, the vendor that delivered the Ariane 5 SRI (Sextant) was
the same vendor who wrote the software for Ariane 4. They knew exactly what
the software was. They just didn't know the characteristics of the total
system (the rocket -- not a software simulation of a rocket -- a real live
fire-belching tube) into which their SRI was to be used.

Brownie points to the first person who can identify those glowing triangles
at the left of the picture (and why they glow!).