Ada 200X

[And838N@netscape.net]

Warren W. Gay wrote:
>...I think many would be happy to break that rule for >GNAT.IO_Aux.Get_Line, since
>there is no other way to read in a Ada string without knowing in
>advance its size...
>For my $0.02 worth, the scalars don't matter. The string is the problem
>child that needs a solution.

I'm pretty new to Ada but I have been using and tutoring C,C++, Java for over 5 years now.  When I decided to "try out" Ada one of the first things I noticed was the String problem as Warren described.  My solutions was to write procedures (functions) in a package that took a parameter of type String, then overloaded that procedure to use Unbounded_String and so on so that I could use whatever I was comfortable with.  I even overloaded procedures and functions to take the String_Access.  Anyway, my point is, for users coming out of C, C++, Java, like me, it would be a TREMENDOUS help to make the "String" transition easier.

There was one other issue I came across when writing my first Linked list in Ada.  There is no "this" keyword.  It didn't take long for me to realize that a class in Ada is not at all like a class as I understand from college (C++, Java).  The "flavor" of an Ada was C struct like to me and required passing "my" instance as a parameter to a procedure of function in a package so that I could use "this".  

My view may be somewhat biased because I'm new to Ada but the idea of an Ada class doesn't seem like a class to me at all.  It seems like putting a bunch of C methods and a struct definition into a .c file and compiling it and calling it a class.  There's obviously more to Ada than that but I described how it "seemed" for someone trying to move to Ada.

My purpose for moving to Ada is all the hype about reducing the cost of maintenance and the quicker development time.  I read a bunch of articles on how Ada is superior to other languages because once you learn it your development goes quicker and the end result requires less maintenance.  Two key things if I want to play in a global market against "inexpensive" programmers/engineering firms in places like India.

I've heard professors say they don't like Ada because it's slow and does all those "bounds" checking "things".  My opinion is; take a look at the bugs in MS code that lead to viruses because of buffer exploits and unchecked "bounds".  Ada just seems a smart way to go, especially with newer faster processors.  Most people don't recognize the speed up anyway unless the go from 300MHz to a 2.4GHz.

I've been working with Ada seriously for about a month now and the more I learn the more I like it.  It does not have the flavor of a "business" type language, even though it is perfectly useable for such applications.  But sometimes the "flavor" of the language is almost as important as the language itself!  Especially if you want to open the "market" up.
Making Ada easy to transition to would be something to consider in Ada200X, IMHBiasedO.

Ok, so now I am up to 4 cents.

Thanks!

Andrew

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