Re: Ada noob here! Is Ada widely used?

[Luis Espinal <Luis_member@newsguy.com>]

In article <7GwJn.4712$z%6.3258@edtnps83>, Duke Normandin says...
>
>Thanks for the URLs! I visited
>http://distrinet.cs.kuleuven.be/events/AdaEvent/abstracts.html#researchada
>
>To begin with. Looks like I should be learning SPARK? or should I start with
>Ada, _then_ graduate to SPARK?


I think you should learn either (SPARK or Ada), or maybe both (probably this is
what you should do). In that case, I'd go with Ada first.

I took an Ada class on my 3rd year at university, and from then one, it was my
tool of choice (along with C++). I graduated, looked for Ada jobs, and could not
find much. I went to grad school all the while still looking for Ada jobs.
Eventually I settle to work with C++, and then with Java.

I've been programming in Java for 11 years - 15 if I count the playing-around I
did with it since it came up in 95. And now, finally I might be able to get a
chance to work in C/C++.

Still, every once in a while I search for Ada jobs. I keep seeing an opening for
a Sr. Ada programmer to assist in a conversion to C++. Plus I keep seeing that
people require X amount of years on Ada or C++ when hiring, so it is a
chicken-n-egg kind of thing.

Putting all that lamentation aside, and the fact that I've never worked with it,
I'd say that it is the most influential language I've had (with the Pascal
family of languages.)

Ever since I learned it, all other languages have felt a bit lacking when it
comes to develop software that is both 1) efficient and 2) looks and reads
correct. I think I'm a good software developer and engineer, and I honestly
don't think my skills would be as good as I think they are if it weren't because
of Ada.

Learning Ada is how I learned how to program correctly. This is strictly
anecdotal and personal, so take it with a grain of salt. But my suggestion will
be to learn Ada for the sake of it in the hope it will improve your skills and
craft, however good they are now.

If you happen to land a job in Ada, that will be an added bonus. Learning the
language and solving non-trivial problems with them, that's all the
justification one should need IMO.

Good luck.

- Luis Espinal.