> >Java/C#: Reasonably safe (both provide protection against > buffer overflows, > >are type safe and provide built-in security mechanisms) > >FORTRAN/COBOL: Don't know - my impression is that COBOL is > fairly safe > >Scripting Languages: Depends on the language. Lack of type > safety can be a > >problem, but on the other hand they are usually safe from > buffer overflows > >and the fact they you can do a lot more in fewer lines of > code can make the > >code safer by making errors more obvious. > > > >Are there other languages in widespread use (ie, the > language must be used > >more than - say - Python) that are safer than those listed above? > > Certainly Ada is a lot safer than those above, and the SPARK subset > we have discussed here is even safer (not just by being a subset but > also by supporting proofs of correctness). SPARK is much less widely > deployed that whatever was used to implement Internet Explorer, but I > have strong preference as to which of the two I would want used in the > programming of fly-by-wire for an airplane on which I fly. > -- > Larry Kilgallen >
What features make Ada safer than Java/C#? (I only have limited experience with Ada but from memory there was nothing that jumps out at me as something that Java lacks) Nick
