Re: Future with Ada

["Pat Rogers" <progers@classwide.com>]

"Marin David Condic" <dont.bother.mcondic.auntie.spam@[acm.org> wrote in
message news:9vdp9f$9vo$1@nh.pace.co.uk...
>
> "Pat Rogers" <progers@classwide.com> wrote in message
> news:ESsS7.2213$Le3.1716485294@newssvr12.news.prodigy.com...
> >
> > I wish I could agree -- it's fun to design things -- but I don't think
it
> > will get there.  We'll spend too much time discussing and debating
> low-level
> > details.  That's why I started this thread by proposing one of the
> existing
> > implementations:  I believe we should pick one and run with it.  Sure,
> let's
> > discuss the characteristics of the overall library -- I would suggest
> > Bertrand Meyer's criteria in his book describing Eiffel's library:
> "Reusable
> > Software: The Base Object-Oriented Component Libraries" -- but then
let's
> go
> > with it.
> >
> I understand your point, but look at how much resistance there was to most
> of the existing container libraries? What is already out there seemed to
> have flaws that sufficient numbers of people found strongly objectionable.

My impression was that most of those doing the objecting were those with
"competing" libraries.  That might be wrong, but it looked that way from
a slight distance (by which I mean I didn't read absolutely all the
relevant posts).  Sure, those of us who've spent time developing code
and thinking about the subject therefore have opinions that are both
more passionate and qualified, but it doesn't seem to me to be a lot of
people overall.

> If it didn't get adopted by unilateral imposition, its tough to get a
> consensus. (I'd bet that if GNAT came bundled with the BC's, people would
> still object - but would likely use it anyway.)

Exactly my point -- we cannot please everybody, completely, under any
circumstances.  So let's pick one and as a group start asking the
vendors to provide them.  We have reason to believe the vendors will
respond.

> > If enough people ask for it, the vendors will provide it.  I have words
to
> > that effect from two of them.
> >
> But I don't recall that there were large number of folks calling Thomas
> Edison on the phone and asking for him to invent the light bulb. Nor did
> people Fax Henry Ford pictures of the car they wanted with a suggested
name
> of "Model T". :-)

:-)  On the other hand, there weren't competing auto makers, lightbulb
manufacturers, etc. available.

> Sometimes businesses simply react to demand from their
> customers.

Which they tell me they will do in this case.

> Sometimes businesses come up with something great and new and go
> out and educate their customers as to why they would want to have it.
> Waiting for a groundswell of demand from the customer base for some
> particular container library is, IMHO, just about guaranteed to result in
No
> Standard Ada Component Library(tm).

I confess I don't see why not, unless you mean there would be no
groundswell, in which case I would have to agree.  Hence my original
proposal -- let's start the groundswell!