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=-1.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00 autolearn=unavailable autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 Path: eternal-september.org!reader01.eternal-september.org!reader02.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!mx05.eternal-september.org!feeder.eternal-september.org!nntp-feed.chiark.greenend.org.uk!ewrotcd!reality.xs3.de!news.jacob-sparre.dk!loke.jacob-sparre.dk!pnx.dk!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: "Randy Brukardt" Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Help with embedded hardware/software platform selection for ADA Date: Wed, 3 Jul 2013 14:19:02 -0500 Organization: Jacob Sparre Andersen Research & Innovation Message-ID: References: <31f9819e-6509-4d67-acea-4d2ba9a96c04@googlegroups.com> <4csim6j63mk4.1c54vo5v7eu8c.dlg@40tude.net> <51d280e7$0$6556$9b4e6d93@newsspool4.arcor-online.net> <237325009394503647.389498laguest-archeia.com@nntp.aioe.org> NNTP-Posting-Host: static-69-95-181-76.mad.choiceone.net X-Trace: loke.gir.dk 1372879143 10408 69.95.181.76 (3 Jul 2013 19:19:03 GMT) X-Complaints-To: news@jacob-sparre.dk NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 3 Jul 2013 19:19:03 +0000 (UTC) X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.5931 X-RFC2646: Format=Flowed; Response X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.6157 Xref: news.eternal-september.org comp.lang.ada:16089 Date: 2013-07-03T14:19:02-05:00 List-Id: "Randy Brukardt" wrote in message news:kr1t5k$9tq$1@loke.gir.dk... > "Luke A. Guest" wrote in message > news:237325009394503647.389498laguest-archeia.com@nntp.aioe.org... >> "Randy Brukardt" wrote: >>> So, IMHO (and much like SPARK), Ravenscar is a tool needed only in very >>> specialized circumstances (typically, some sort of certification >>> requirement). Otherwise, one ought to forget about it and use Ada as it >>> was >>> intended. >> >> The point of this thread is this, you can't use stock GNAT rts with these >> small boards, it has to be custom and is something I'm working on. > > You can't really use Ada on those very small systems -- you can only use a > tiny Ada subset, one that reduces the advantages of Ada a lot. Unless > you're in the tiny minority of people that prefer the Ada *syntax* to that > of C, you're not really gaining anything. (Ada witthout exceptions and > most tasking isn't Ada at all, IMHO). RRS tried to serve that market back > in the early days and got nowhere. Rereading this, it comes off as more negative than I intended. Ada was designed as a programming language for "programming in the large", and that means that it's strengths don't really show up on tiny programs (which is what you can fit on tiny boards). That's a problem for Ada if you consider the tiny boards as an entry to working on larger systems down the road; so I'm not against efforts to use Ada on those sorts of systems -- I'm just dubious that they really can be successful (if they make Ada into "just another programming language", it's unclear that anyone will understand why Ada is so great). Randy.