Study shows Ada tools ten times more costly

[world!srctran@uunet.uu.net (Gregory Aharonian)]

   In the January 1993 issue of Software Magazine, T. Capers Jones has a
nice article titled "Equipping the software engineer", in which he talks
about trends in software development tools as measured by their function
point capability.  He talks about investment in tools for software
engineers, as compared to other industries.

    One comment has some relevance to the issue of the Ada Mandate.  To
quote (page 99):

	"The cost of software engineering tools ranges from less"
	than $1 per function point, to more than $20 per function
	point.  Developers using PC, Unix and Apple Macintosh
	platforms have the largest selection of tools priced at
	less than $1 per function point.  Manufacturers and
	military software developers often use tools priced at
	more than $10 per function point.


    This comment to some extent supports the contention that the Ada
Mandate, by sheltering the Ada tools companies from competition, is distorting
the marketplace and making use of Ada more expensive than other languages.
(I assume in his study that for the most part, military software developers
only are buying Ada tools).

Greg Aharonian

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 Greg Aharonian
 Source Translation & Optimization
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