Re: A couple of questions

[James Rogers <jimmaureenrogers@att.net>]

"Yeric" <NOSPAM@NOSPAM.com> wrote in
news:c6usqs$31m$1@sparta.btinternet.com: 

> I have read a few articles about Design by contract and find the
> concept interesting, and wondered how ADA is able to handle this if at
> all? 

Ada handles some parts of design by contract through its ability to
define scalar types, and through strong typing.

type My_Int is range 15..25;

procedure Swap(Left, Right : in out My_Int) is
   Temp : My_Int := Left;
begin
   Left := Right;
   Right := Temp;
end Swap;

Since Left and Right are type My_Int, there is a guarantee that
all values of Left and Right are within the range defined for
My_Int.

> What niche does ADA fit into, I notice that it prides itself on
> embedded systems, does it have any other special areas apart from what
> I can see in military domains, or is it a good all rounder?

Ada is a general purpose language. It fits well in many domains.
Ada has been successfully used for manufacturing control systems,
financial applications, transportation safety and control systems,
robotic control systems, video editing, medical applications,
and scientific calculations.

Jim Rogers