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Tony Lowe <[log in to unmask]>
Thu, 5 Dec 2002 10:49:19 -0600
text/plain (49 lines)
Hello all,

   I have been 'out of Ada' for 2 years now, being stuck in Chicagoland
with no Ada companies within 60 miles anymore (the Rockwell office
closed a year ago).  I have become something of a Java expert and don't
really think too much about it anymore.  The only time I pine over Ada
is when I type in one of my passwords (still has Ada in it 8) and when I
teach the basic Java class.  

The reality of Java development in the IT world is about 15-20% of the
work even involves more than if statements and assignments.  Most data
types are Strings and integers, and the data is simply input, saved and
retrieved.  The majority of programmers perform very repetitive task of
plugging in classes into frameworks and configuring it all with and XML
document.  

Ada is a great programming language, and when I took my Concepts of
Programming Language classes last year I aced it because of it, but :
  * Many people do not want to know that much about their PL
  * Many people aren't that well versed in CS to know why they should
  * Most of the apps being built need a much higher level functionality
than is provided by well-known Ada
  * Sun has done a much better job of publicizing Java and more
important J2EE
  * Without J2EE Java is dead!
  * Java has tons of free services online, and even more pay ones for
developing AND LEARNING!

The battle being lost is one of publicity.  I hear all the time from
students that 'Java is going to be dead because of Microsoft'.  Even
though 70+% of web business apps that fit into the .NET area are still
J2EE.  Ada is a Green party candidate in Texas at a gubernatorial
debate.  Most people simply don't hear her and some are offended by her
continued existence.

If we want to do something, then make the free stuff so attractive and
easy to learn that one finds it easy to join the community and build
apps as powerful as one can build in J2EE for free or in .NET for a
relatively small developer cost.  

I will offer my Ada class I webified a while ago and have not had any
call for in quite a while, if the group shows true commitment.  I don't
often see too many companies truly committed financially the way Sun has
committed to giving away Java.  I have put hundreds of hours put into
developing the course, but I will put it to good use if I see a
commitment!

Tony

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