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Subject:
From:
"Dale Jr, William" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Dale Jr, William
Date:
Wed, 17 Nov 1999 10:05:53 -0800
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OK,

The first problem is that there are no desktop applications WRITTEN in Ada.
Is Linux written in Ada? How about Netscape?  OK, maybe Star Office?  Nope.
Nada.

So when the TEAM-ADA crew ( including myself ) get on the job and start
putting out apps in Ada to replace the buggy, crap we get from Redmond then
we might get some good press and respect.

Next item, Academic Software Engineering ignorance.  Why is every Aerospace
Ph.D. I see have no concept of good software design. They write everything
in Matlab or FORTRAN.  I've never seen so many GOTO's !!  They define a new
culinary discipline for spaghetti code.

Since most software that would benefit most from using Ada is written by
these folk why aren't the thought good S/W Engineering?  Well as Ph.D's,
their schools did not expect that they would be hired to be code cowboys.

Well it seems they are wrong.   I asked to be in flight software and they
wanted to know what I knew about control theory and spacecraft.  They did
not care about software architecture or construction.   And since the career
path to high places comes from these Ph.D. Guidance & Control types they end
up at the top of the company with no concept of good software development.

So we have some work to do to get good applications out written in Ada and
to influence schools to dump FORTRAN as the scientific language for Ada.
Both are tough sells.

Bill Dale
Speaking for myself,... probably to myself.

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