"Ada" Trademark Definition/Meaning:
A programming language developed at the behest of the US
Department of Defense for use in embedded systems, i.e. systems in which a
computer is used for control purposes. (Aircraft navigation systems are an
obvious example.) Such systems require concurrent activity and have severe
response-time constraints, thus Ada is a real-time language.
The design
requirements of Ada were elaborated in a sequence of reports, successively more
detailed specifications being identified as Strawman, Woodenman, Tinman, Ironman,
and Steelman. When the specification was complete, four contractors were invited
to implement a language to meet the specification, The language developed by
C11-Honeywell-Bull was chosen: originally code-named Green, it was renamed Ada
in honor of Augusta Ada Lovelace who, as assistant to Charles Babbage, has some
claim to be the world's first programmer.
In addition to facilities for real-time concurrent programming, Ada incorporates
novel ideas of modular structure and separat compilation to support the
development of very large systems. It also introduces the idea of a programming
support environment (APSE) whereby program development tools are specified along
with the language as an integrated whole.
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