Re: Alsys, how insignificant is 18,000?

[world!srctran@decwrl.dec.com (Gregory Aharonian)]

>I'd like to see some studies demonstrating:
>	1.  People make these decisions based on cost-effectiveness,
>	    or any other rational process, and
>	2.  C++ _is_ more cost-effective than Ada, C, FORTRAN, BLISS,
>	    or any other language.
>
>My belief is that choice of language is dictated more by perceived
>popularity than any technical factor.

I agree completely.  I would like to see such studies that are based
on full microeconomic models of life-cycle software development cost,
and the rational choice theory models of how people choose to do
things.

But for all other languages, most people, including myself, probably
woudln't care.  Things are done within budgets, based on past
experiences, and hopefully we learn from project to project.

It's only with Ada, whose use is forced by federal legislation, that
higher standards and justifications should be imposed.  And one of
the few studies, on which the legislation was somewhat justified, is
the original Mosemann studies, which privately are held to be a
joke, even by people from within the Mandated world.

So I agree with you, lets seriously collect the facts, before decisions
are made affecting national security.  To date, they haven't been.

Greg Aharonian
-- 
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 Greg Aharonian
 Source Translation & Optimization
 P.O. Box 404, Belmont, MA 02178