Re: State of opinion of GNAT

[chris.morgan@baesema.co.uk (Chris Morgan)]

In article <ouybrk38qa.fsf@i486.mcneil.com>, sean@mcneil.com (Sean McNeil)
wrote:

> When I joined this newsgroup a few years ago, there was a lot of talk
> about GNAT and how it is just a toy compiler for the academic environment
> and couldn't be taken seriously.  After all, it doesn't even have a
> library manager!
> 
> I have been working with GNAT for a while now and actually prefer it's
> environment.  Also, it is apparant that common opinion of GNAT's
> usefulness has completely turned around since those early days.  I
> was just wondering when (and how) these opinions were changed?

  I can't speak for others. My interest was sparked initially because of
the price and because it was always an Ada95 compiler. These two facts
caused me to investigate the possibility of downloading it and installing
it. To do that I had to get Internet access, a Unix account and learn
basic Unix (since don't have a PC and it doesn't run on VAXes). Once I had
done all that, the compiler and documentation speaks for itself i.e. was
well worth all that effort. The GNATDOC1.PS file is especially interesting
as it demonstrates how the target and host independence is achieved. Once
one has read that, one can see that irrespective of the current status of
the compiler (quite incomplete when I first got hold of it), the
architecture is uniquely powerful due to the GCC underpinnings.

  I think being a real 'fan' of GNAT probably also depends on
understanding and accepting the GNU ideal. Some people object to it, and
that's fine. If you are an Ada fanatic (which I am I suppose) and accept
the GNU movement's aims, then one cannot but be a fan of GNAT as well,
especially now it's virtually complete.  I think proprietary software has
an entirely rightful place in the market, but gradually the free software
movement can fight back against over-dominance of the market by certain
vendors and I am pleased by that. I work for a big company that buys
expensive tools, but I have the feeling that my Ada skills are more
portable entirely due to te existence of GNAT. It's obviously nice to see
products like ActivAda Personal edition for $99, and I expect GNAT had a
hand in allowing Dave Wood at Thomson to justify that price to the
accountants :-) (just a guess)

  Incidentally, last week I wrote up a document proposing limited use for
GNAT for real work on my project (limited in the sense of not yet
producing customer deliverables). When I went through it, it was actually
very easy to make a case for using the Solaris version as its so nearly
complete. I also got less resistance than I expected because Ada95 has now
loomed onto the horizon of senior managers for bids and future projects,
whereas back in 1994 it was just too far away to be an issue.

I now prefer the environment as well.

Chris

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-- Chris Morgan, BAeSEMA Limited   
--   chris.morgan@baesema.co.uk    
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--           Team Ada              
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