Use of Ada Code Generators for Critical Applications -- was

Use of Ada Code Generators for Critical Applications -- was

[Robert C. Leif, Ph.D.]

From: Bob Leif, Ph.D.

To: Samuel Mize et al.

Subject:: Use of Ada Code Generators for Critical Applications

Date: 12 June, 1996
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Samuel Mize  wrote on Sun, 9 Jun 1996 23:49:23 -0500
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Subject: Re: ARIANE-5 Failure (DC-X works)

Other posts have said the code was generated with MatrixX.  I haven't
used MatrixX, but others at my company have, so I'll try to describe it.

MatrixX isn't a language.

It's a tool that uses a graphical notation, including some standard
graphical notation for math.  You can think of it as a 4GL for
scientific calculation.

Its application area is limited, but within that area, its graphic
notation is closer to what a mathematician would use, so a domain
expert can work with it and validate it more easily.

I'm sure a MatrixX marketeer would plotz at this definition, but it
lets you see why it's easier (in this case) to maintain than properly
written Ada.  The maintainers aren't programmers, and they aren't
maintaining the program.  They're maintaining their mathematical
specifications.  The tool regenerates the program to match new specs.
Nobody maintains (this part of) the program.

SNIP

But since Ada is a general language, there will always be tools that
are easier for specific, limited application domains.

End  Samuel Mize;
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Begin Bob Leif
As virtually all the readers of Comp.Lang.Ada know, it is quite possible for
a human to write Ada which makes minimal use of the capacity provided by Ada
for employing software engineering principles. Or stated more succinctly, it
is quite possible to produce garbage in Ada.  For instance, did the MatrixX
tool create data types with ranges limited to the acceptable values.  Where
exceptions built into the code? Code inspections are an excellent toll for
humans, which should be extended to robots.

Bob Leif
Robert C. Leif, Ph.D., PMIAC,
Vice President & Research Director
Ada_Med, A Division of Newport Instruments
5648 Toyon Road
San Diego, CA 92115-1022
Tel. & Fax (619) 582-0437
e-mail rleif@mail.cts.com