Re: Magnavox consultant trashes Ada tools in IEEE Computer

[CONDIC@PSAVAX.PWFL.COM]

From: Marin David Condic, 407.796.8997, M/S 731-93
Subject: Re: Magnavox consultant trashes Ada tools in IEEE Computer
Original_To:  PROFS%"SMTP@PWAGPDB"
Original_cc:  CONDIC



This originated from srctran@world.std.com (Gregory Aharonian)
and has been circulating among many postings:

>    This structure created very long compile times when a
>    package library was modified and all dependent packages had to be
>    recompiled.  The compilation of all Ada and C source files took
>    nearly 4 days on the HP9000, less than a day on the RISC machines,
>    and close to a week on the Intel486 machines. (The equivalent
>    amount of C or C++ would take considerably less time; for example,
>    the GNU C++ compiler completed about 30,000 lines of code in about
>    12 minutes on an Intel 486 SCO machine)."

I've seen a dozen commentaries that basically go like this:
    1) You didn't say how big the Ada code is
    2) How long would it take for an equivalent amount of C?
    3) You can't compare the compilation of a small C program to
        that of a very large Ada program - it's not fair.
    4) Combinations and variations of the above.

Has anyone besides me noticed that the statement was made in an
article - not this newsgroup - by a guy who probably doesn't read
this newsgroup and that the damage is done with respect to a
bunch of folks who probably also don't read this newsgroup?

If someone would publish the e-mail or snail-mail address of the
editor of IEEE COMPUTER, I'm sure we could all be doing something
MUCH MORE POSITIVE by sending HIM the list of gripes about how
this is an unfair characterization and asking HIM to clarify in
print what the real circumstances were? He probably still has the
phone number for Joseph Skazinski and could get him to clarify
and perhaps ANSWER the charges?

Sorry if I seem to be shouting - I'm not really. I'd just like to
see all this good commentary go to some sort of productive use
and - unless I'm grossly mistaken - sending it strictly to this
newsgroup is a little like preaching to the choir. Let's put the
noise out where it will do some good.

So how about it? Anyone out there have a copy of IEEE COMPUTER
handy (Greg? You started this.) and could maybe look inside the
front cover and see where the Esteemed Editor of said publication
might prefer to get his communications sent to? Might that get
posted out here sometime soon? Would those who've already posted
such eloquent criticsms of the aforementioned article care to
dredge them up off disk, clean them up a little and send them on?

Pax,
Marin


Marin David Condic, Senior Computer Engineer    ATT:        407.796.8997
M/S 731-93                                      Technet:    796.8997
Pratt & Whitney, GESP                           Internet:   CONDICMA@PWFL.COM
P.O. Box 109600                                 Internet:   MDCONDIC@AOL.COM
West Palm Beach, FL 33410-9600
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