nfs0395@dsacg3.UUCP (Nickolaos M. Haskakis) (03/23/89)
from article <Jim Haskins>
> Here at DSAC (for the rest of the readers this is the principal
> design activity for DLA), an ADA task group worked for
> nearly two years. A cadre of folks was trained and did some
> development work on various prototype demos.
This newsletter is to introduce DSAC's Ada task group and to give
a bit of our history. Established in December of 1986 as the Ada
Language Project, we were to assess the applicability of Ada to the
development of the Defense Logistics Agency's business processing
systems. After designing and developing our first application, the Ada
group made several conclusions, including:
1) Add Ada as a DLA software programming language.
2) Maintain Ada expertise by training personnel and beginning a
software engineering user's group.
3) Utilize Ada to create software for functions that commercial
packages have not addressed.
4) Develop/obtain a library of reusable tools, a reusable
software library manager, and Ada/DBMS(s) interface(s).
5) Because Ada allows arithmetic precision to vary from one
machine to the next, the organization's money handling needs require
that modules be written/obtained that would provide the necessary
accuracy and precision.
6) Once this precision is achieved and Ada DBMS support is in
place, the agency may consider using Ada for applications that may
benefit from Ada's strengths. It is important that an APSE be
sophisticated enough that it can help not only the analyst and
programmers to design and code, but also the project managers to
devise project schedules, control resources and monitor the progress
of development through the application's entire life cycle.
At present, the group is involved in a project which utilizes
Ada in an information management system that is ultimately aimed for
an OSI environment. Called the Logistics Information Exchange (LINX),
this project is to design a standard, portable interface between user
applications and the commercial service level facilities residing in
the top layer of the OSI model.
We'll be glad to hear from anyone who has any questions or
comments. We would also like to know how any military agencies are
using Ada, and if anyone is working on the application layer of the
OSI model.
Ada Group
% Patti Hicks (614) 238-9498
DLA Systems Automation Center AV 850-9498
DSAC-FS P. O. Box 1605 Columbus, Ohio 43216
--
Nick Haskakis DLA Systems Automation Center, Columbus, Ohio
PHONE: 614-238-9498 UUCP:{uunet!gould,cbosgd!osu-cis}!dsacg1!nhaskakis