Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!att!pacbell!ames!mailrus!iuvax!cica!gatech!hubcap!billwolf%hazel.cs.clemson.edu
From: billwolf%hazel.cs.clemson.edu@hubcap.clemson.edu (William Thomas Wolfe,2847,)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.misc
Subject: Re: Learning Ada
Message-ID: <6205@hubcap.clemson.edu>
Date: 7 Aug 89 21:42:52 GMT
References: <2550@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu>
Reply-To: billwolf%hazel.cs.clemson.edu@hubcap.clemson.edu
Lines: 30

From genesch@aplvax.jhuapl.edu (Eugene Schwartzman):
> Personal example - I wrote a *very* small program (2 -3 packages, 
> ~10 lines/package) and it took me days to figure out why I kept 
> getting certain syntax error (not that the errors themselves were
> very helpful).  Call me stupid, inexperienced with Ada, whatever, 
> but imagine a beginning student running into that.  

    OK; let's imagine.  Student gets syntax error.  Student tries
    to determine cause, giving up after about an hour.  Student
    shows the program to the local Consultant and asks what the
    problem is.  Consultant points out the obvious error.  Student
    resumes programming and goes on to obtain a CS degree.

    Introductory CS classes generally have special consultants just
    for that class, in addition to the consultants at the computing
    center, and in addition to the professor teaching the course.
    Now if the student doesn't take advantage of all this help, then
    the student would probably be better off as a truck driver anyway.

> As far as Ada being real-world, I'd have to disagree with you very loudly.
> The only "real" world that uses it with any regularity is government and 
> military.  What if the person doesn't want to work for either?  

    Why, then the person could work for Arthur Andersen, Reuters, or
    any of the many other non-defense companies using Ada...  simple, 
    huh?  The demand for Ada people greatly exceeds the current supply. 


    Bill Wolfe, wtwolfe@hubcap.clemson.edu