[Info-vax] The future of Ada on VMS

[clair.grant@vmssoftware.com]

On Monday, May 21, 2018 at 10:18:10 PM UTC-4, Dave Froble wrote:
> On 5/21/2018 6:17 PM, clair.grant at vmssoftware.com wrote:
> > On Monday, May 21, 2018 at 4:06:50 PM UTC-4, Simon Clubley wrote:
> >> On 2018-05-21, Arne Vajhøj <arne at vajhoej.dk> wrote:
> >>> On 5/21/2018 1:38 PM, Dave Froble wrote:
> >>>> But once again, you're predicting without any idea of what might happen.
> >>>>    You say there will not be an Ada compiler.  How do you know that?
> >>>> Perhaps there is not one now, or any announced plans for one.  But VSI
> >>>> will look at what their customers are asking for, and if there is demand
> >>>> and good business sense to do so, do you doubt John's ability to produce
> >>>> a new up to date Ada compiler?
> >>>
> >>> Ada is a bit more uncertain.
> >>>
> >>
> >> Try a lot more uncertain (unfortunately).
> >>
> >>> My understanding is that VSI has not talked about migrating
> >>> the extremely old DEC Ada 83 but has talked about getting ACT
> >>> to port their modern Ada. But ACT has dropped VMS as a platform,
> >>>
> >>
> >> This is my understanding as well.
> >>
> >> When DEC/CPQ/HP management decided to go with an external vendor
> >> for Ada instead of building an Ada 95 compiler in-house, that was
> >> when they lost control of the long term Ada ecosystem and became
> >> dependent on that external vendor's plans.
> >>
> >>> I do not doubt that John could create an Ada compiler, but
> >>> every indication is that he will be working on other stuff.
> >>>
> >>
> >> Creating an Ada compiler from scratch is a massive job. A number
> >> of people (who know way more about what is involved than I do)
> >> have looked at this possibility in various forms and have come
> >> to the same conclusion.
> >>
> >>> So it will be VSI management talking to ACT management.
> >>>
> >>> Or talk to the great guys that made GNAT work on VMS I64
> >>> about an x86-64 version. See post some time ago!
> >>>
> >>
> >> That's not really a meaningful comparison unfortunately.
> >>
> >> The code for Itanium already existed in the code base he used and
> >> it was mostly a matter of learning how to use an existing GNAT Pro
> >> compiler for Alpha VMS to build an Itanium compiler.
> >>
> >> All the necessary bits for x86-64 on VMS would need to be added
> >> to the code base before such an attempt could be made for x86-64.
> >>
> >> This would mean however that VSI would be maintaining GCC for
> >> Ada only and maintaining LLVM for all the other compilers.
> >>
> >>> If I were dependent on Ada on VMS, then I would also be
> >>> a bit concerned.
> >>>
> >>
> >> Very much agreed.
> >>
> >> Simon.
> >>
> >> --
> >> Simon Clubley, clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP
> >> Microsoft: Bringing you 1980s technology to a 21st century world
> >
> > We are rewriting the Ada in the operating system to C/C++ so VMS
> itself will not need an Ada compiler on x86. As to what x86 customers
> will do, that is a definite TBD at this point. We have no, even remote,
> plans to create it ourselves.
> >
> > Clair
> >
> 
> <droll cheaky bastard>
> 
> Is that the same "no, even remote, plans for an Alpha release" ?
> 
> Sorry, couldn't resist ..
> 
> :-)
> 
> </droll cheaky bastard>

I thought about that myself! It is the only reason I did not say "there is no way in hell we will ever create an Ada compiler ourselves".