Re: C is 'better' than Ada because...

[John Howard <jhoward@sky.net>]

...AT&T employees created C and caused it to spread along with UNIX 
systems.  Since you work for AT&T I can see how you would be in the
minority there if you selected something other than C.  Does AT&T allow 
you the option of picking a better language for the job?  For example, a
job that required standardized multitasking support that the C dialects do 
not provide.  Read on below...

On 12 Aug 1996, Craig Franck wrote:
> Well I'm not an Ada expert, but I have "Ada as a Second Language"
> by Norman Cohen and "Ada Programmer Handbook" by Dean Gonzalez.
> On the cover a little R with a circle around it appears by the 
> word Ada. In the book by Norman Cohen it states (page 8) that 
> the name "Ada" is a trade mark of the DOD and it's usage is 
> "strictly enforced". I take that to mean that if it doesn't 
> conform it *can not* be called an Ada compiler. It states you
> can work towards conformity and use the name, but thats an exeption.

The second edition of "Ada as a Second Language" was released this year
and incorporates Ada 95.  The first edition you are using is from 1986.
On page 8 from the second edition, "a compiler can be called an Ada
compiler if it implements the core language".  The core language consists
of sections 1 through 13; annexes A, B and J of the Ada 95 Reference 
Manual v6.0.  The registered trademark symbol is no longer applied to the
word Ada.

> If I were to bid on a contract, tell the DOD I'm developing in Ada
> and submit C++, I think they would call that "fraud".

The contract would be more specific and indicate a standardized Ada
language such as the International Standard ANSI/ISO/IEC-8652:1995.

> I think part of the resistance to Ada is C belongs to the world.
> Ada belongs to the government! :-)

Which dialect of C belongs to the world?  I use UNIX services via an
online service provider but I don't program for it.  I mainly use a PC and 
OS/2 Warp (for DOS/Windows support too).  So which C dialect would you 
claim belongs to an OS/2 user or a Windows95 user?

Ada 95 clearly does not belong exclusively to our government.  GNU based 
Ada 95 compilers are available for free from cs.nyu.edu/pub/gnat.  You 
even receive the source code to GNAT.  Plus the Ada 95 Reference Manual 
and the Ada 95 Rationale book are free too.

> If this has changed, please enlighten me!

Alot has changed in ten years.  The C camp is being splintered off into 
Java and C++ camps now to get the benefits of classwide programming.  I 
witnessed the division of support over the years for the Pascal dialects. 
Borland Pascal users saw their pool of support get larger longer while
other Pascal pools dried up.  The chaos caused by lack of support for a
decent standardized language caused confusion and expense to the detriment
of all Pascal users.  In stark contrast, Ada 95 is the first 
internationally standardized object-oriented language.  Ada 95 is designed 
to not become obsolete.  I can invest into support for Ada 95 without
fearing it might be a wasted investment toward a dead-end.  I trust Ada 
95 is capable enough to do any job I want to work on.

The fact that a GNU C or GNU C++ can do a job generally means that a GNU 
Ada 95 can do the same job since they use the same GNU back-end compiler. 
Consequently, support for Ada 95 is not going to disappear provided GNAT 
is available for important operating systems and hardware platforms.

> clfranck@worldnet.att.net
> Manchester, NH

-- John Howard <jhoward@sky.net>               -- Team Ada  Team OS/2 --