Re: GPS - A new kind of IDE?

["Alexandre E. Kopilovitch" <aek@vib.usr.pu.ru>]

I found it slightly strange that so many people dislike the name GPS for new
ACT's contribution. For me, this name seems good enough... let's consider some
aspects of that title.
  First, yes, there is an obvious collision, but those GPS'es are from the
different areas, and the intersection of these areas is quite limited. After all,
we see the last names like Smith very often, and very rarely we have a chance
for confusing a man named Smith with a man, which is a smith by profession.
So it is with those GPS'es: one is generic name for a class of devices, while
another is the title for a particular software system - that is, the first is
like "smith", and the second is like "Smith". And at last, ACT's GPS surely
will have versions, and a good part of occurencies will mention not simply
GPS, but GPS n.nn .
  Second, if the ACT's GPS were for Ada language only then perhaps the name
AIDE could be better, but as the ACT's GPS supports multiple languages, there
is little chance to find a simultaneous hit.
  Third, I believe that any good moderm IDE should have a functionality that
really serves the same need as a GPS device does, but relative to a code inventory
instead of the geographical maps. And such a functionality is critically significant
for programmer's productivity, So I think that the title "GPS" may be justified
as a metaphor also.


Alexander Kopilovitch                      aek@vib.usr.pu.ru
Saint-Petersburg
Russia