Ada-a tool for real-time systems

The Ada software development environment is viewed as a tool that aids in the development of software. The authors relate the lessons learned while building an automated test system that resulted in about 250000 lines of Ada code. The Ada features that aid in the development of real-time systems are detailed, including the methods used to evaluate not only the features of the language, but also the particular implementation of the language, i.e. the compiler. The use of Ada from system conception to product delivery is then considered. Finally, the quality factors, which are often neglected in the traditional software development process, are discussed. It is noted that a software development team using Ada for the first time is challenged not only with learning the Ada programming language, but also with the more complex task of recognizing the true strengths of Ada and applying these in a way that enhances the software development process.<>