Re: Feasibility of using Ada in new development

["Steve" <nospam_steved94@comcast.net>]

I believe you will find that you can meet all of your requirements with Ada.

You will most likely find that you will need to interface to other languages
to make use of external libraries.  In my experience if you ask a library
vendor about "Ada" support, they will say no.  But if you use the C
interface and set up your own bindings, everything works fine.  The time
spent in developing bindings is more than compensated by reduction of
defects.

If you are really looking at merit and not just a popularity contest, I
think you'll find that Ada wins every time.

Steve
(The Duck)

"Robert Law" <blaw@mkisserve.com> wrote in message
news:8429999a.0408231027.2850e800@posting.google.com...
> I would like to start by saying my message is not an attempt to start
> a flame war or anything like that.
>
> I've been programming for years using everything from COBOL, RPG, C,
> Java, PHP, etc.  I've written a number of business applications,
> usually accounting ones.  (That's the advantage of having more than
> twenty years of experience.)  I'm at the point in my life where I want
> to pursue a dream I've had for years of having my own software
> development company, basically a VAR or ISV.
>
> I want to use a language that meets the following criteria:
>
> 1. It must be reliable.
> 2. It must be supported.
> 3. It must be usuable to develop applications in a graphical
> environment.  Basically Motif, GTK, or KDE.
> 4. It must be usuable to develop programs used via a browser.
> 5. It must be able to interface with relational databases either
> through a standard interface or ODBC.
> 6. It would be nice if it was somewhat object oriented.  I'm not an
> object oriented purist, but it does have some nice features.  I
> especially like its automatic garbage collection of no lonter used
> variable.
>
> I don't care much whether or not there are millions of programmers
> that know how to use it.  Any programmer worth their salt would be
> willing to learn and become proficient in a new language.
>
> I do want it to be a language that is efficient yet doesn't give you a
> rope with a noose or a loaded, cocked, gun when you use it.
>
> You can see that I'm leary of C and C++.  I have used them, and
> continue to use them, but I'm not at all sure that I want to use them
> to develop business applicatons.  I'm tired of reading about buffer
> overflows.
>
> I have played around somewhat with Ada but by no means am I an expert.
>  I'm concerned that Ada may be starting to fade into obscurity.  If I
> get my company going (I know its a BIG if), I want to use the language
> for years and not chase after every silver bullet that comes along.
>
> I'm interested in your comments and ideas, especially about Ada being
> able to meet my requirements.
>
> Thanks,
> Robert Law