Re: The future of Ada is at risk

[Agyaras <agyaras@kerekerdoe.hu>]

> The GNU GNAT Compiler is the only Open Source compiler, and
> it lacks proper support and implementation on a variety of platforms.
I can confirm this. E.g. it is a major headache to get the GNAT compiler 
working under Mac OS X. AdaCore stopped distributing GNAT/GPS (GPL) for 
the Mac. There has never been a GNAT/GPS package for Solaris AFAIK. 
etc.etc.

Ada and the Open Source community:- there are several problems.

1) Perception. Ada is still perceived as "the Pentagon language", and is 
associated in many people's minds with "evil". This perception is very 
difficult to change.
2) Complexity. Ada has been designed for large, complex, reliable 
software systems. Most open source projects are smaller and it is not 
worth the effort to use Ada: or would you use a tractor in your garden 
behind your house?
3) The quick-and-dirty mentality. This is very widespread in the current 
IT world. Deadline pressure leads to q&d coding, hence the popularity of 
dynamic script languages that promise rapid results. Goes completely 
against the Ada philosophy.
4) Ada limitations. Certain aspects of Ada are painfully clumsy. The 
three string libs, unnecessary multitude of I/O libs, primitive 
exception handling, constructors are not part of the language, 
finalization is an afterthought,....
5) Lack of libraries and frameworks. This is due to the unpopularity of 
the language. Ada needs at least a relational DB binding *that works* 
with the current open-source RDBMS-es (as opposed to Gnade), she needs a 
good scientific library, she needs simple but powerful string handling, 
just to name a few. The catch-22 is that nobody will develop these until 
there's strong demand for Ada-based s/w, and there won't be strong 
demand until the libs are available.

cheers,A

-- 
"Non est volentis, neque currentis, sed miserentis Dei"