Re: GNAT versions ( was :Ada compiler for PC?)

[Maciej Stachowiak <mstachow@alum.mit.edu>]

Robert Dewar <robert_dewar@my-dejanews.com> writes:

> In article
> <m3g15ovkpk.fsf@207-172-255-37.s37.tnt2.sbo.ma.dialup.rcn.c
> om>,
>   Maciej Stachowiak <mstachow@alum.mit.edu> wrote:
> > Cygnus has regularly delivered the code for major
> > features to the EGCS tree, and I suspect quite a few
> > major features appeared in the EGCS tree before they were
> > shipped to Cygnus customers.
> 
> That would be an interesting suspicion to back up. 

One singinficant example would be the Java front end. That appeared in
the EGCS tree long before it was at all fit for use, so I doubt it got
shipped to customers first. From a rough examination of their web
pages, it is not clear whether they are selling it now.

> Yes, of course Cygnus drops developments to EGCS, no one
> is saying that they don't. 

In fact, a large reason they started it was to avoid maintaining large
internal code forks.

> It is just that, as in the case of GNAT, there is usually a lag
> between the development of new features and their dropping into
> EGCS.

There's a difference between lag time from development to drop to the
public tree and lag time between ship to paying customers and drop to
the public tree. Of course, Cygnus likely does both for different
things. 

I am not going to get into this flame war though, I am not even an Ada
user and I think anyone should have the right to use whatever release
policy they choose as long as they comply with relevant licenses.

 - Maciej