Re: newbie, Spark 2014 or Ada 2012

["Jeffrey R. Carter" <spam.jrcarter.not@spam.not.acm.org>]

On 07/06/2015 12:50 AM, Jacob Sparre Andersen wrote:
> 
> SPARK 2014 should in your case probably be seen as an optimisation tool.
> If you notice that some section of your Ada sources are taking too much
> time, you can use the SPARK tools to evaluate if it is safe to disable
> checks for that part of your application.

That's an odd view of SPARK. SPARK is about proving that code is correct and
implements its requirements. That such code is also proven not to fail run-time
checks is a side benefit.

Besides, in 30 yrs of using Ada I've never encountered a case where turning off
checks made the difference between not meeting timing requirements and meeting them.

To the OP: If you're interested in creating well designed, correct, robust,
readable software (that is, in being a software engineer), then you'll like Ada
and not be happy with any of the other languages you mentioned. The skills you
learn with Ada will make your software better if you do have to use such a language.

If, however, you want to be one of the incompetent hacks whose poorly designed,
error-ridden, fragile, write-only code is the source of most of the security
vulnerabilities in the world, then you won't like Ada and will like one of your
other choices. You'll also get the pleasure of spending more of your time
finding and correcting your errors than you do designing and writing code.

-- 
Jeff Carter
"It's symbolic of his struggle against reality."
Monty Python's Life of Brian
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