[comp.lang.ada] Ada vs C++

psrc@pegasus.ATT.COM (Paul S. R. Chisholm) (11/26/89)

From pff@beach.cis.ufl.edu (Pablo Fernicola):
> In IEEE Software, Vol.5 Num. 3 page 26, we read
> 	"C++ has several advantages over Ada: ..."

In article <7115@hubcap.clemson.edu>,
billwolf%hazel.cs.clemson.edu@hubcap.clemson.edu
(William Thomas Wolfe, 2847) writes:
>    But unfortunately seems to be missing fundamental features
>    such as exceptions, generics, and concurrency...

Exceptions:  Dr. Stroustrup just made a proposal for doing exceptions
in C++.  It looks pretty good.

Generics:  Dr. Stroustrup made a proposal sometime last year on
parametarized types.  His exception handling paper uses the same
syntax, so presumably he's reasonably comfortable with it.

Concurrency:  Most of the time, C++ programs (and programmers) should
use the facilities of the target platform.  Dr. Stroustrup has provided
support for "tasks" in both "C with classes" and C++; the AT&T C++
Language System comes with a Task class.  That's as close to standard
as C++ comes these days.  No, there's no direct support in the language
(special syntax, etc.) for supporting concurrency, for the same reason
there's no direct support for I/O:  it's better done in a library.

To summarize, C++ has the same support for exceptions and generics that
Ada has for inheritance.  (The Ada preprocessor you mention is a red
herring for DOD contractors, unless you propose they submit the
*output* of the preprocessor.)

>    Bill Wolfe, wtwolfe@hubcap.clemson.edu

Paul S. R. Chisholm, AT&T Bell Laboratories
att!pegasus!psrc, psrc@pegasus.att.com, AT&T Mail !psrchisholm
I'm not speaking for the company, I'm just speaking my mind.

mrb@sei.cmu.edu (Mario Barbacci) (04/10/91)

I would like to get pointers to studies contrasting Ada and C++ and
perhaps other languages but at least these two.  Does anybody know if
there are any such comparisons?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mario R. Barbacci,
internet: mrb@sei.cmu.edu		uunet: ...!harvard!sei.cmu.edu!mrb
Software Engineering Institute, CMU, Pittsburgh PA 15213, (412) 268-7704

rgc@raybed2.msd.ray.com (RICK CARLE) (04/11/91)

In article <23839@as0c.sei.cmu.edu>, mrb@sei.cmu.edu (Mario Barbacci) writes:
> 
> I would like to get pointers to studies contrasting Ada and C++ ...

At Tri-Ada '90, Frederic H. Wild III (Cadre Technologies) presented his
paper, "A Comparison of Experiences with the Maintainance of Object-Oriented
Systems: Ada vs. C++."
Here's the abstract: "This Paper discusses the relative ease with which
systems are maintained using the mechanisms supported by Ada versus
those supported by C++.  The paper opens with a discussion of
significant aspects of object-oriented development, followed by comments
about relevant support mechanisms supplied by each language.  Qualitive
comments are used freely regarding issues of object inter-relationship
complexities, object construction and reuse paradigms, readibility
aspects, and others."
I liked this paper because it was a nitty-gritty analysis of Wild's
personal experience with C++ and Ada.  He was disappointed with C++ and
explained exactly why.
The conference proceedings are available from
	ACM Order Department
	P.O. Box 64145
	Baltimore, MD 21264
ACM Order no. is 825902; price is $35 ($25 for ACM members).
	Rick Carle

diederich_r_%ncsd.dnet@GTE.COM (Ray Diederich, 301-869-8400) (06/28/91)

From _Defense_&_Aerospace_Electronics_, Vol. 1, Num. 1 (June 24, 1991), a
quote from Lloyd Mosemann, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force,
regarding the yet to be released case studies of Ada versus C++:

"Without Exception Ada won out in all categories of study," said Mosemann.
He said Ada's cost savings were 35% over C++'s, and maintenance savings
topped 70%.

(Reprinted without permission.)

Ray Diederich
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