Ada(R) in Practice started lifeas a case studies report, the result of
work per- formed under government contract at SofTech, Inc. as part of
an effort to identify and resolve issues related to Ada usage. Although
that report has now evolved into a book intended for a more general
audience, its objectives are largely unchanged. Asbefore, the primary
goal is to promote effective use of Ada, both in general programming and
design practice and in embedded computer systems specifically. Many
features of Ada will be new to pro- grammers and designers familiar with
other languages; the program examples presented in the case studies are
intended to serve as guidelines for proper usage of such features while
pointing out common misconceptions and programming errors. In addition,
we hope that this book as a whole will highlight the advan- tages of
using Ada at all stages of a program's life cycle, from problem analysis
through testing and maintenance. However, it does not purport to hold
all the answers to questions ofAda application;areas that would benefit
from further investigation or more definitive guidelines are also
suggested.