[Info-vax] Ada, ACT and Rust [not VMS related - at least currently]

[Arne Vajhøj]

On 9/4/2023 8:26 AM, Simon Clubley wrote:
> On 2023-09-01, Arne Vajhøj <arne at vajhoej.dk> wrote:
>> Ada, ACT and Rust has come up more than once here.
>>
>> News:
>>
>> https://thenewstack.io/how-adacores-rust-fork-may-make-the-language-more-adoptable/
> 
> Interesting. I can see how that's a benefit in the short term, but
> what about a few years from now, when the then-current version of
> Rust new programmers have learnt outside of AdaCore is different
> from the one AdaCore is supporting in its LTS product ?

It is a choice companies make.

They can pick:
* have a keep current strategy and update frequently
* stick to something for 10 or 20 or 30 years

We know it from the VMS world:
- many upgraded VAX -> Alpha -> Itanium and are getting ready for x86-64
- some decided to stay at VAX (some may even have stayed on VMS 5.5
   and not 6.2 or 7.3)

ACT seems to believe there is a market for Rust support for the second
type.

I don't know that world, but I believe that ACT know that world well, so
I assume they know what they are doing.

There are a few interesting points though:
* it seems like ACT believe Rust can be a replacement for Ada
   in at least some cases
* one has to wonder whether ACT will produce an actual fork
   of Rust maybe with a commercially licensed version and a
   free version that output GPL'ed code (given Gnat history
   that seems a relevant question)

Arne