larry@JPL-VLSI.ARPA (01/18/86)
The DEC Ada compiler is probably the best around for VMS. Verdix may have
the best for Unix systems. They both cost about the same--$25,000. Third-
party sources, even if they exist, are not going to cost less. Remember
that Ada is the property of the richest SW market around: DoD. And
considering market realities, if you pay less you get less.
If you want to pay the least money in the absolute sense, if you have an
IBM PC/AT or compatible try Alsys (in Massachusetts 617 890-0030). They're
about to release a compiler that will run under PC-DOS and create DOS
programs. Price is not set but my guess is about $2500. Alsys also has a
product for Sun and Apollo, though you may want to get the Verdix system
instead. (The Alsys product is supposed to be pretty good, however. I
doubt if you'd go far wrong using either.)
Remember that the DOS AT is a single-user system. A VAX can support 10
times the Ada users at any one time, and hundreds each week, so the per-
person cost of a multi-user Ada system is less.
There's also an Ada-oid compiler from R&R sytems, but it's not full Ada and
some of it's not really Ada. Ada has a lot of subleties, and you can have
a lot more trouble unlearning subtle differences from the real thing (which
you'd have to do eventually) than learning a completely new language.
For further ARPAnet info contact INFO-ADA at USC-ISIF.
Larry @ jpl-vlsiMHJohnson@HI-MULTICS.ARPA (Mark Johnson) (01/23/86)
I have a couple of comments about using Ada systems now available. (1) Verdix should come out with a VMS version of their Ada development system in the next month or so. We have a preliminary version of it & it works pretty well in the areas that are completed. The only real worry I have is the way it works with VMS since it is a port from Unix & I am quite aware of the pitfalls that can arise. We are really looking at Verdix for cross compilers to the 68000 & other systems. (2) In talking with a developer at Alsys, he indicated that they have pretty much left their VAXen behind after moving the compiler to the PC-AT. He indicated that the PC-AT gave them similar performance to a VAX-11/750. The trade-off I see for their product is capacity of the host system & whether you need software development tools you may already have on your VAX. Perhaps the bang per buck equation will change with the new CPU's that DEC will come out with. --Mark <MHJohnson @ HI-MULTICS>
Steven.Hobbs@A.CS.CMU.EDU (C410SH51) (01/24/86)
Although high quality Ada implementations are expensive, not everyone pays $25,000 for a compiler. I know that Digital offers very deep discounts for educational institutions. There are also significant discounts for smaller machines like the MicroVAX II. Other vendors offer similar discounts.