Re: Current status of Ada?

[anon@anon.org (anon)]

The Status of Ada in the US is basically non-existence.  Yes, there are 
a few companies, colleges and researchers that are using Ada.  But the 
number of projects is very limited.

The problem is that Microsoft does not sale an Ada package.  Since in 
the US Desktop are still using Microsoft OS the people and companies 
only want to use items that are supported by Microsoft. Ada is not 
once of them!

IBM does have a number of Ada packages but as most have learn IBM can 
change it mind in milli-second.  They created the PC but longer sale it.  
They created Windows but in 1990 they nolonger had the rights to 
modify it. IBM paid Microsoft to create DOS and OS/2 but now both are 
no longer supported or sold by either company. The action of IBM 
suggest for the PC market you can not trust them with Ada or PL/1.


What happen to Ada was:

The DOD had Ada designed and created and for the first few years 
controlled access to it.  But instead of hiring and then having wait until 
the programmer learn Ada, they release it in 1980 to 83 and provide a 
colleges fund to the college for teaching classes.  The problem was that 
most students did not take Ada, maybe if they needed an elective they 
did.  That was because most students want to get that degree and get 
out into the real world and make the real money.  Plus, Ada was primary 
used for governmental project with limited jobs pay, but with other 
languages the pay and jobs are in the idea that the sky is the limit. 
Since most programmers want money too they stayed with the private 
sector. Which caused the the DOD's college fund to become a cash cow 
for colleges but no returns for the DOD. They still had to re-train their 
new programmers, who did not know Ada so, instead of wasting more 
money they close down the fund with the closure of APJO.  With no money 
coming in from the DOD, most colleges decided not to offer Ada classes. 
This was because most companies are using non-Ada projects and they 
suggest to the colleges what courses they need for their work forces (new 
programmers or ITs), which are non-Ada. In turn the college normally 
comply unless they have a paying research project which is almost always 
limited in it scope to that research.



Also for those Ada users in Europe:

Ada being used in Europe as no baring on the US Ada usage. To see this 
one just needs to looks at PC operating Systems.

In the US most companies that use PC have stayed with Microsoft 
throughout 1990s and 2000s. But in the 1990s Europe and Asia use OS/2 
and now in 2000s have embraced LINUX. It was reported that during the 
IBM and SCO legal battle, that Microsoft was stop from deploying its 
software in some European companies, because those European companies 
perfered to used LINUX. They got the Europe court involve and Europe 
won, Microsoft lost!

This leads one to believe that most Non-US companies will not switch to 
Vesta, even though the US companies are in the process of doing so. 
Unless Microsoft creates some special deals for them.

Note: Unless you are selling software, you do not cut down others for 
using the someone else's software packages. You just adapt until you 
get back home!

As for cost back in the 1990s: 

Well MS-DOS cost around $50 and the Windows 3.x add-on package was 
around $150. As for OS/2, well version 1.x in the 1980s, was $850+ and 
version 2 was $125 in 1990. Of course, LINUX was free unless you buy a 
dist. version, such as the SUSE which could go from around $30 for the 
non pro version.

Note: I was told that OS/2 version 1.x was around that price because of 
UNIX. OS/2 Version 2 and beyond was drop to  $125 to complete with NT 
as a desktop server class system.

Ada Pricing Now:

Adacore's GNAT Ada pro package pricing kind of reminds me of the 
Microsoft / IBM OS/2 version 1.x. Too high.  Adacore should sell the 
GNAT Ada Pro as a self contains package without support only a 30 to 
90-day limited support for a price that is around same as other 
languages.  And provide additional support as an add-on package.  And a 
third version with both GNAT Pro and yearly support. That way software 
developers could write program without support.  And later when they 
sell the program they could get a support package from Adacore.  Of 
course, colleges and researcher would start off as the Pro only then 
move to the complete all-in-one package for the research team, once the 
research project is approved.


So the Bottom Line is:

My point is that the US does not follow software treads in Europe or in 
Asia and Europe and Asia does not follow the software treads US. We may 
be link through the internet but that does not mean that we must have the 
same type of system or software.

As for Ada in the US well the DOD put it in the cofin and companies have 
been putting the nails in, one by one ever since. Ada still has a heart beat 
but that lid is closing tighter all the time.

Sorry, to be so negative but that the way it is in the REAL WORLD!


It a DOG EAT DOG world and MONEY RULES!!!

And unless you live on a deserted island, you must play the game that 
others have set up! And that includes even finding a mate!


In <1187726191.464593.16480@r34g2000hsd.googlegroups.com>,  Steve  Marotta <smarotta@gmail.com> writes:
>Hi folks,
>
>I am conducting market research regarding the amount of Ada code in
>active use today. I would appreciate a moment of someone's time if
>they could point me to a source of information where I can find out an
>estimate of how much Ada code is currently in use. This estimate
>should include, and emphasize if necessary, legacy code that was
>written more than ten years ago and is either being used as-is or with
>minor modifications.
>
>Thank you,
>Steve Marotta
>