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Going All-In with Ada: A Manifesto

12 points by tate 6y ago

al2o3cr 6y ago
I mean 99% as in I didn't use any external libraries. Alternate title for the article: "How I Used My Boundless Arrogance To Saddle A Non-Profit With Unmaintainable Software"
- mikewarot 6y ago
  I would have to see the code before making a judgement about how well it can be maintained. Writing a system in one language, and they using another language for external libraries that do some of the tricky bits strikes me as a bad idea, the maintainer has to know two different languages, and the library interfaces at that point. Why not use ADA libraries, instead of the external C or Assembler libraries?
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
Zababa 6y ago
> I've spent a lot of time perusing various open-source code bases, specifically OS kernels (FreeBSD and Linux, mostly), and I have been pretty dismayed to find far too much raw egotism/intentional obscurity, frankly lazy hacks, and poor documentation. Delving into user-land libraries can be down-right terrifying. It's not a problem of ineptitude, it's a combination of over-confidence, and the weakness of mainstream languages to properly abstract systems, and contain side-effects. When I was younger, I use to think I just wasn't "advanced enough" to understand what I was looking at. After becoming experienced, what I really found was that poor practices, both in design and implementation, are endemic in mainstream software. > The result was 99% Ada (Ada 2012-FSF GNAT-FreeBSD). I mean 99% as in I didn't use any external libraries. The only non-Ada components were some last-mile system-calls bindings written in C, to take advantage of the system headers. All JSON parsing/generation, HTTP, and TCP/IP was implemented in Ada. I think implementing your own software from end to end (including things like HTTP and TCP/IP) in Ada (a relatively obscure language) is "far too much raw egotism/intentional obscurity". The author seems to think he has solved the problem of collaboration by working alone on some software on its own terms.
karmakaze 6y ago
Clipping this on the off chance it's useful for someone to see it here: > P.S. I'm hiring; but I'm also a "start-up". If anyone is in Toronto and shares the same kind of passion for Ada, please PM me. Even if I'm too small for your caliber, maybe we can start something grass-roots anyways. Otherwise, It’s an honor and a pleasure to join this small but important community!

12 points by tate 6y ago

I mean 99% as in I didn't use any external libraries. Alternate title for the article: "How I Used My Boundless Arrogance To Saddle A Non-Profit With Unmaintainable Software"

mikewarot 6y ago
I would have to see the code before making a judgement about how well it can be maintained. Writing a system in one language, and they using another language for external libraries that do some of the tricky bits strikes me as a bad idea, the maintainer has to know two different languages, and the library interfaces at that point. Why not use ADA libraries, instead of the external C or Assembler libraries?
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]

Zababa 6y ago

> I've spent a lot of time perusing various open-source code bases, specifically OS kernels (FreeBSD and Linux, mostly), and I have been pretty dismayed to find far too much raw egotism/intentional obscurity, frankly lazy hacks, and poor documentation. Delving into user-land libraries can be down-right terrifying. It's not a problem of ineptitude, it's a combination of over-confidence, and the weakness of mainstream languages to properly abstract systems, and contain side-effects. When I was younger, I use to think I just wasn't "advanced enough" to understand what I was looking at. After becoming experienced, what I really found was that poor practices, both in design and implementation, are endemic in mainstream software. > The result was 99% Ada (Ada 2012-FSF GNAT-FreeBSD). I mean 99% as in I didn't use any external libraries. The only non-Ada components were some last-mile system-calls bindings written in C, to take advantage of the system headers. All JSON parsing/generation, HTTP, and TCP/IP was implemented in Ada. I think implementing your own software from end to end (including things like HTTP and TCP/IP) in Ada (a relatively obscure language) is "far too much raw egotism/intentional obscurity". The author seems to think he has solved the problem of collaboration by working alone on some software on its own terms.

karmakaze 6y ago

Clipping this on the off chance it's useful for someone to see it here: > P.S. I'm hiring; but I'm also a "start-up". If anyone is in Toronto and shares the same kind of passion for Ada, please PM me. Even if I'm too small for your caliber, maybe we can start something grass-roots anyways. Otherwise, It’s an honor and a pleasure to join this small but important community!