larry@VLSI.JPL.NASA.GOV (03/07/88)
-- Mr. Neff makes some good points, though he seems to be a bit too pessimistic. For instance, compiler errors we'll have with us for decades to come. I still occasionally see problems with mature C and ForTran compilers from respected companies like IBM and DEC. The validation process weeds out many such errors. Efficiency of compilers obviously need improving, but already there are several out there that are pretty good. Some of them may produce better code than compilers for more languages (There's more information available in an Ada program, so this is potentially the case.) Tartan makes some extravagant assertions about their compilers in comparison with (for instance) Sun C. (Has anyone on this list looked into their claims?) As for cheap compilers, you can now get validated Ada compilers from Meridian and R&R Software for about a $100. These are "Starter" or "Introductory" versions that have been crippled somewhat (10 compilation units and 200 executable statements per unit for Meridian), but still adequate for beginners. Then if you want the full version you lay out several hundred dollars more. You still pay 3-4 times the cost of equivalent C development system, optimization is limited, and the generic, tasking, and some other facilities are primitive, so obviously the situation can be improved more. Possibly the entry of Borland into the market will fuel some major improvements. (Or maybe not, if their Ada is as non-standard as their ProLog system.) Incidentally, the report I heard is that Borland has copyrighed TurboADA, not TurboAda. Anyone know if that's true? (Makes me wonder if by spelling a product ADA some turkey could get around AJPO's copyright!) Larry @ jpl-vlsi
karl@grebyn.COM (Karl A. Nyberg) (03/07/88)
> (Makes me wonder if by spelling a product ADA some turkey could get around > AJPO's copyright!) It's not a copyright, it's a trademark. Furthermore, it expired last December. Ada is NOT a registered trademark of the U. S. Government (AJPO or anybody else). The current procedure is the use of a "certification" mark. For an extensive explanation of this issue, read the lead article in the December, 1987 issue of the Ada INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSE NEWSLETTER, VOL V, No. 3. For information on receiving the newsletter free of charge, contact the Ada INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSE at 703-685-1477. -- Karl --
stt@ada-uts (03/10/88)
As a minor correction, AJPO had a trademark, not a copyright on "Ada." However, they have now dropped it, and are using a protected certification mark instead (so we can stop inserting the annoying (R) after "Ada") to indicate compiler validation. T. Taft Intermetrics, Inc.