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Subject:
From:
"Wisniewski, Joseph (N-COMSYS)" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Wisniewski, Joseph (N-COMSYS)
Date:
Wed, 14 Jun 2000 09:41:38 -0400
Content-Type:
text/plain
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text/plain (130 lines)
Re; the part about not enough Ada people out there. I'd like to respond to
this in detail, but I am VERY curious about everyone else's opinion
on this.

Some quick rambling thoughts/questions:

Why does this seem to hit Ada so hard, and not other "legacy" languages?
Is COBOL or FORTRAN still being taught in schools?

Why is it assumed somehow that a good Ada engineer, had to have been born
with
the knowledge of the language. I've worked with plenty of poor Ada engineers
and good C/C++ engineers.

Maybe there is some "under the sheets" recognition that a good Ada engineer
got
there through Ada, not entirely because of, but "with" Ada.

This, I believe, may be one of the most important issues for us to address;
that is, I'll
take a good engineer who knows any combination of languages and make him/her
a better engineer with Ada.

Maybe this is all due to the insane "keyword mentality" that exists in the
"engineering human resources" world.

I guess a corollary of this point is that, just because someone has done Ada
does NOT
make them a good engineer.

Thoughts?

Joe
> ----------
> From:         David Botton[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Reply To:     David Botton
> Sent:         Wednesday, June 14, 2000 9:02 AM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      Fw: Future of Ada
>
> This is a job for Team-Ada   :-)
>
> David Botton
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jimmy Tucker" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Cc: "Bruce Espedal" <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Wednesday, June 14, 2000 8:43 AM
> Subject: Future of Ada
>
>
> > Sir,
> > My organization, the Defense Automatic Addressing System Center, a field
> > level activity of lthe Defense Logistics Agency, has an application
> running in
> > ADA.  We have two ADA programmers, one full-time, and one part-time,
> assigned to
> > this project.  This application has 140,000 lines of ADA code, and
> provides for
> > the editing, verification and routing of DoD logistics transactions to
> the
> > appropriate destination, based upon business rules described in DoD
> 4000.25-M-x,
> > and Service and Agency specific business rules.  Upper management is
> proposing
> > to rewrite this application in C++, as we have a greater base of C++
> expertise,
> > and one of our ADA programmers is going to retire within the next few
> years.
> > Our chief of programming is not too sure of the longevity of the ADA
> > environment, and is considering this move to C++.  What I am trying to
> assist
> > our ADA programmers in, is to research ADA and its viability for the
> future.  I
> > agree with our ADA programmers, and feel that this mission critical
> system, and
> > the concern of migration to C++ might allow for errors creep into the
> 140,000
> > lines of existing code, and the associated maintenance considerations
> for
> the
> > average of 152 changes per year to the code.  Concern centers around the
> error
> > minimization that the ADA compiler supports, and the extensive testing
> that
> > might be required to support similar error minimization in the C++ code.
> > Concern is also in the area of obtaining another ADA programmer to
> replace
> the
> > current organic government ADA programmers.  Contracting out would be a
> > solution, but there is a concern of what is available to us.  In order
> for
> us to
> > have a viable resource, it takes about a year for an ADA programmer to
> become
> > effective in our environment, as the individual must become
> knowledgeable
> with
> > DoD logistics business rules, and the quirks with Army, Navy, Ari Force,
> and
> > Marine unique logic.  Any way we go, we will still have this problem,
> except
> > with a contractor, the likelyhood of maintaining a longterm programmer
> in
> ADA is
> > questionable, and we would have to start the training process all over
> again.
> > Thus, the crux of upper management's concern.
> > The chief of programming has the following question that we must answer:
> > 'Is ADA going away in the next few years (5-10), and if not - prove it."
> Would
> > you be able to provide your insight as to the longevity of ADA, and any
> concerns
> > for migration to a C++ environment, such as costs to maintain C++ versus
> ADA,
> > testing requirements for C++ versus ADA, etc.  We're looking for
> ammunition to
> > prove our case for ADA.  HELP!!!!!
> >
> > Jimmy R. Tucker
> > DAASC-SLP
> > 5250 Pearson Road, Bldg 207, Area C
> > WPAFB, OH  45433-5328
> > Phone: (937) 656-3747
> >             DSN 986-3747
> > Email: [log in to unmask]
> >
>

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