From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.4 required=5.0 tests=AC_FROM_MANY_DOTS,BAYES_00 autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,85034d1ac78a66eb X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2002-02-25 15:42:23 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!sn-xit-02!supernews.com!news-x2.support.nl!psinet-eu-nl!psiuk-p4!uknet!psiuk-p3!uknet!psiuk-n!news.pace.co.uk!nh.pace.co.uk!not-for-mail From: "Marin David Condic" Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Ada Operating System Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2002 08:51:41 -0500 Organization: Posted on a server owned by Pace Micro Technology plc Message-ID: References: <5Tzc8.111999$H37.15018616@news2-win.server.ntlworld.com> <3C73F480.5010806@mail.com> <9ff447f2.0202220108.7f14c9bc@posting.google.com> <9ff447f2.0202222044.78c44b25@posting.google.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: dhcp-200-133.miami.pace.co.uk X-Trace: nh.pace.co.uk 1014645102 20738 136.170.200.133 (25 Feb 2002 13:51:42 GMT) X-Complaints-To: newsmaster@news.cam.pace.co.uk NNTP-Posting-Date: 25 Feb 2002 13:51:42 GMT X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4522.1200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4522.1200 Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:20409 Date: 2002-02-25T13:51:42+00:00 List-Id: 1) Which Ada compiler? There is no "The Ada Compiler". Each one is going to be implemented differently. Given that, some compilers may be written in C, others in Ada, some possibly in obscure languages like BLISS - did DEC do that with their compiler? The first validated compiler was written in SETL. 2) Note that Gnat is developed in Ada. Sure, it has the gcc back end and all that, but that's just leveraging some existing body of code. Ada can be, and has been, used to implement Ada compilers. 3) Assuming for a moment that a given Ada compiler is developed in C - and that the implementation (being in C) is particularly buggy, how does that have anything to do with the quality of the output? Even a buggy program might make highly reliable output - if and when it works. 4) The ACVC doesn't really have much to do with the "quality" of an Ada compiler. What it does is test it for conformance to the rules - which may act as a useful test suite & help you produce a better quality product. (Conformance to the rules being one aspect of "quality", I suppose we could consider it an aid to getting there.) A compiler can pass the ACVC and still produce inefficient, buggy code, so its no guarantee. MDC -- Marin David Condic Senior Software Engineer Pace Micro Technology Americas www.pacemicro.com Enabling the digital revolution e-Mail: marin.condic@pacemicro.com Web: http://www.mcondic.com/ "Adrian Hoe" wrote in message news:9ff447f2.0202222044.78c44b25@posting.google.com... > > Sometime ago, I was thrown a question while giving talks in > Universities. "What language do they use to build the Ada compiler?" > and an (assumed) answer from the audience was "C". Then raised another > question: "If Ada has many safety features that C does not have and > the Ada compiler was written in C, how exactly safe is Ada?" > > I know there is ACVC test suite out there to certify Ada compilers > before they reach out the market. But then, why still use C to write > an Ada compiler? >