Re: Looking for ADA

[Corey Minyard <minyard@acm.org>]

You shouldn't post on groups where you can only display your ignorance
about a subject.

rick.thorne@lmco.com (Rick Thorne) writes:
> 
> In article <01bc2d83$4ca9e6a0$6966f4ce@wickline>, "Warren Wickline"
> <wickline@comp-res.com> wrote:
> 
> > I'm still a college student, and I was wondering if anyone could help me
> > find a cheap ada compiler.  
> 
> For the PC?!?  This is kind of like asking "Gee, I'm married with 8 kids. 
> Can anyone help me get a cheap divorce and keep my child support to a
> minimum?"

Yes, you can get a commercial quality Ada compiler for FREE (see
http://www.gnat.com).  I use it daily for my job; it is very high
quality.  You can get other commercial compilers for relatively cheap,
including one that produces Java bytecodes for $99 (or $40 if you are
a student).  You can get IDEs, etc.  See http://www.adahome.com for
compiler info.

> 
> As a college student, why are you bothering with Ada anyway?  My
> recommendations:

Perhaps the class he is taking is using Ada?  Perhaps he wants to pass
it?  The use of Ada in beginning CS classes is increasing dramatically
(see http://www.adahome.com).  I haven't seen the original post yet
(since usenet is not causal :-), perhaps I missed his reason, though.

> 
> 1) Learn C, C++, Java, and other language technologies that actually have
> a future in the US.
> 
> 2) Don't sweat Ada unless you get a job in a US DoD contractor's shop or a
> job in Europe, then let THEM pay you to work while you learn the language.

Or Boeing or any of their contractors (commercial aircraft), or Hughes
(commercial air traffic control), or me.  It might be useful to know
Ada ahead of time, but it may not matter.  In general, I have found
knowing multiple languages useful in many respects.

> 
> 3) Keep your C, C++, & Java skills sharp whilst you work with Ada, because
> Ada's going away quickly, yes, even in the DoD world because of the Perry
> Initiative and the soon-to-happen elimination of the Ada Requirements
> (probably by july '97).

Ada is not going away.  The removal of the mandate will probably
improve usage of Ada.  Ada has never competed on a level playing field
with other languages because of the mandate (drove compiler prices up,
people don't like to be forced to do things, etc).  Now it will.  It
is used extensively in safety critical systems (aircraft systems,
biomedical, etc.)  I think it will see increased usage.  However,
there is a tremendous amount of prejudice to overcome.

> 
> 4) Learn OOA/D methods; these are the elements of the Software Crisis
> unsolved by Ada.  As Brooks stated in "No Silver Bullet": Ada is just a
> programming language.  It doesn't cover all the ground by any means.

This I agree with (as well as keeping multi-language skills sharp).
And, of course, there is no silver bullet.  But Ada95 is an OO
language and it covers more ground than any other language I have ever
used (and I have used a lot).

> 
> Good luck, and look to a future that HAS a future.
> 

Warren, I too hope you do well.  And don't believe everything you read
(written by me or anyone else).  Verify things; you might be surprised
what you find!

-- 
Corey Minyard               Internet:  minyard@acm.org
  Work: minyard@nortel.ca       UUCP:  minyard@wf-rch.cirr.com