A non-programmers interpretation of Ada code

A non-programmers interpretation of Ada code

[Preben Randhol]

I asked two people that hasn't coded what they understood from the program
below. Here is the answer:

First test person:

   >    with Ada.Text_IO; use Ada.Text_IO;

   Hm, I dont' know this. This Ada.Text_IO must be a specific text or an
   order. I guess it is Ada programming. So, use this specific
   text/order and do something with this text/order. Probably there is
   something that continuous after the final ";"

   >    procedure Hello is
   >    begin
   >       Put_Line ("Hello World!");
   >    end Hello;

   There is probably a starting procedure that is called "Hello". This
   procedure starts with the phrase "Hello World!. So, when Hello
   procedure starts one has "Hello World!" at the screen.  Then the
   Hello procedure ends.


   > Does this code look more easy or more hard to understand than the
   > C++ code below.
   >
   > #include <iostream>
   >
   > int main()
   > {
   >     std::cout << "Hello, world!\n";
   > }

   Ei! This is chineese.
   (or "greek" for non-Greeks)

Second test person:

   [About Ada program]: I think it prints Hello World to the screen as
   it says Put_Line.
   [About C++ program]: This is definiately harder to understand. I mean
   what does std:cout mean?


Quite what I had anticipated. :-)

Preben
-- 
�I think fish is nice, but then I think that rain is wet.
 So who am I to judge.�
                 - The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radioplay)

Re: A non-programmers interpretation of Ada code

[Stephane Richard]

[-- Warning: decoded text below may be mangled, UTF-8 assumed --]
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proof is in the facts...and there are the facts :-)....indeed it is what you
anticipated :-).

-- 
St�phane Richard
Senior Software and Technology Supervisor
http://www.totalweb-inc.com
For all your hosting and related needs
"Preben Randhol" <randhol+abuse@pvv.org> wrote in message
news:slrnbl68f3.6v0.randhol+abuse@kiuk0152.chembio.ntnu.no...
> I asked two people that hasn't coded what they understood from the program
> below. Here is the answer:
>
> First test person:
>
>    >    with Ada.Text_IO; use Ada.Text_IO;
>
>    Hm, I dont' know this. This Ada.Text_IO must be a specific text or an
>    order. I guess it is Ada programming. So, use this specific
>    text/order and do something with this text/order. Probably there is
>    something that continuous after the final ";"
>
>    >    procedure Hello is
>    >    begin
>    >       Put_Line ("Hello World!");
>    >    end Hello;
>
>    There is probably a starting procedure that is called "Hello". This
>    procedure starts with the phrase "Hello World!. So, when Hello
>    procedure starts one has "Hello World!" at the screen.  Then the
>    Hello procedure ends.
>
>
>    > Does this code look more easy or more hard to understand than the
>    > C++ code below.
>    >
>    > #include <iostream>
>    >
>    > int main()
>    > {
>    >     std::cout << "Hello, world!\n";
>    > }
>
>    Ei! This is chineese.
>    (or "greek" for non-Greeks)
>
> Second test person:
>
>    [About Ada program]: I think it prints Hello World to the screen as
>    it says Put_Line.
>    [About C++ program]: This is definiately harder to understand. I mean
>    what does std:cout mean?
>
>
> Quite what I had anticipated. :-)
>
> Preben
> -- 
> �I think fish is nice, but then I think that rain is wet.
>  So who am I to judge.�
>                  - The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radioplay)

Re: A non-programmers interpretation of Ada code

[tom]

Preben Randhol <randhol+abuse@pvv.org> wrote in message news:<slrnbl68f3.6v0.randhol+abuse@kiuk0152.chembio.ntnu.no>...
> I asked two people that hasn't coded what they understood from the program
> below. Here is the answer:
> 
> First test person:
> 
>    >    with Ada.Text_IO; use Ada.Text_IO;
> 
>    Hm, I dont' know this. This Ada.Text_IO must be a specific text or an
>    order. I guess it is Ada programming. So, use this specific
>    text/order and do something with this text/order. Probably there is
>    something that continuous after the final ";"
> 
>    >    procedure Hello is
>    >    begin
>    >       Put_Line ("Hello World!");
>    >    end Hello;
> 
>    There is probably a starting procedure that is called "Hello". This
>    procedure starts with the phrase "Hello World!. So, when Hello
>    procedure starts one has "Hello World!" at the screen.  Then the
>    Hello procedure ends.
> 
> 
>    > Does this code look more easy or more hard to understand than the
>    > C++ code below.
>    >
>    > #include <iostream>
>    >
>    > int main()
>    > {
>    >     std::cout << "Hello, world!\n";
>    > }
> 
>    Ei! This is chineese.
>    (or "greek" for non-Greeks)
> 
> Second test person:
> 
>    [About Ada program]: I think it prints Hello World to the screen as
>    it says Put_Line.
>    [About C++ program]: This is definiately harder to understand. I mean
>    what does std:cout mean?
> 
> 
> Quite what I had anticipated. :-)
> 
> Preben

First, Ada is cool.  Second, you now have to convince several million
C++ programmers, professors, students and managers that C++ really
does look like gibberish, is hard to maintain and filled with goofy
rules that are more annoying than productive.  Too bad the US market
is driven by advertisements and not effectiveness!

Re: A non-programmers interpretation of Ada code

[chris]

Preben Randhol wrote:
> I asked two people that hasn't coded what they understood from the program
> below. Here is the answer:

> Quite what I had anticipated. :-)

Interesting... try Pascal.  My bet is it will edge it for this simple 
example, but for a more complex example it will lose over Ada.

Re: A non-programmers interpretation of Ada code

[Preben Randhol]

chris wrote:
> Interesting... try Pascal.  My bet is it will edge it for this simple 
> example, but for a more complex example it will lose over Ada.

Well, Pascal uses Writeln which isn't exactly very understandable.

-- 
�I think fish is nice, but then I think that rain is wet.
 So who am I to judge.�
                 - The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radioplay)

Re: A non-programmers interpretation of Ada code

[Adrian Hoe]

tom wrote:
> 
> First, Ada is cool.  Second, you now have to convince several million
> C++ programmers, professors, students and managers that C++ really
> does look like gibberish, is hard to maintain and filled with goofy
> rules that are more annoying than productive.  Too bad the US market
> is driven by advertisements and not effectiveness!

US is not alone. Everywhere.

Re: A non-programmers interpretation of Ada code

[Lionel Draghi]

Preben Randhol wrote:
> I asked two people that hasn't coded what they understood from the program
> below. Here is the answer:
> 
...
Here is an interesting dialog, in french : 
http://forum.hardware.fr/forum2.php3?post=25414&cat=10&config=&interface=&cache=&sondage=&owntopic=&p=1&trash=&subcat=381
(The URL will be cut).

The first student (named "switch") ask for explanation on access type.

Take a look at "R3g" answer, more or less: "I never used Ada, but I 
understand it all :-)".

And is second post is the code with explanations (note the // comments 
prefix :-). Comments are right.

"R3g" is not a non-programmers, but i still find this significant.

-- 
Lionel Draghi

Re: A non-programmers interpretation of Ada code

[Preben Randhol]

On 2003-09-24, Lionel Draghi <Lionel.Draghi@Ada-France.org> wrote:
> Here is an interesting dialog, in french : 
> http://forum.hardware.fr/forum2.php3?post=25414&cat=10&config=&interface=&cache=&sondage=&owntopic=&p=1&trash=&subcat=381
> (The URL will be cut).
>
> The first student (named "switch") ask for explanation on access type.
>
> Take a look at "R3g" answer, more or less: "I never used Ada, but I 
> understand it all :-)".
>
> And is second post is the code with explanations (note the // comments 
> prefix :-). Comments are right.
>
> "R3g" is not a non-programmers, but i still find this significant.

Very interesting :-)

Preben