Re: Why don't large companies use Ada?

In article <3ac3i2$48i_at_case.cyberspace.com>, rtfm_at_cyberspace.com (Dan Thies) wrote:

> : > ...Most of the time, my customers want the product in C or C++.
> Customers want the product in an executable form, and
> don't have the slightest idea with C or C++ even looks like.

You are failing to draw a distinction between (1) what the customer would want if she had a clue, (2) what the customer wants, and (3) what the customer says she wants. Often she *says* she wants a system written in C/C++ because it's a buzzword with which she is familiar. This is of course a sub-optimal methodology for requirements specification. :-)

Of course, there's always the possibility that the customer actually has a reason for favoring C/C++ over Ada. Off the top of my head, it might be the case that the customer expects in-house people to do the maintenance, and the in-house people don't know Ada. Pick any of a number of other reasons cited already in this thread.

I agree that customers are often completely clue-free when it comes to determining and/or asking for what they want. However, the safest thing to give them is almost always what they ask for. If what they ask for is unreasonable, then you can try gently pushing them in another direction. But other than that, or if that fails, second-guessing them just gets you in trouble later.

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 Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.