Re: Will the World ever see something beyond GNAT 3.15p?

[Jerry Petrey <jdpetreyAPPENDIX@raytheon.com>]

Bernd Specht wrote:

>
> Well, but isn't this the speciallity of Ada? Always talk, but never do? If
> you ask for Ada for xy you get replies like: "Build it from the sources",
> "Use a Ada to C", "Pay for development, then you will get" ... (bla bla)
>
> And  if you state that you work (e.g.) with C because there is no Ada
> compiler for your environmemt, then you get only replies "you are very
> stupid *not* to use Ada ..." (ha ha).
>
> Ada community seems full of advocats, but technicians are missing.
>
> Those wise guys always stating that you have to read thousands of documents
> and working years on things you are not interessted in, then build your own
> toolchains, are responsible for decreasing Ada-use.

Bernd,

I�m afraid you are right.  I think Ada is the best language for most
applications today except for the lack of support and tools.  I have been using
it exclusively for the last 15 years and have been fortunate to find good
paying jobs using it but the handwriting is definitely on the wall for this to
come to an end.  We have enough big programs at Raytheon using Ada to keep me
busy until I retire in a few years but none of our new programs will even
consider using Ada.  Most of our new engineers either have never heard of it or
consider it a relic from the past and want nothing to do with it.  Like some of
the other posters said � when you�re looking for a compiler for a certain
language, you want to have some complete, well supported and easy to use
choices � not have to build them yourself.  GNAT was at least close to what was
needed but ACT seems to have abandoned the public releases � which means even
fewer new users will have an easily obtained, modern Ada compiler to try out
and thus even fewer applications will use Ada.

If the Ada vendors can�t make good, reasonably priced Ada toolsets available to
individual engineers, where do they think their future customers are going to
come from?

I think the suggestion for some GNAT Pro users to make the latest release
available would be step in the right direction but a lot of work is needed if
we are going to save Ada.  I saw the same thing happen to Forth, which I liked
and used back in the 80�s.

Jerry

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