Ada Adoption Handbook: Compiler Evaluation and Selection Version 1.0

The evaluation and selection of an Ada compilation system for a project is a complex and costly process. Failure to thoroughly evaluate an Ada compilation system for a particular user application will increase project risk and may result in cost and schedule overruns. The purpose of this handbook is to convince the reader of the difficulty and importance of evaluating an Ada compilation system (even when there is no freedom of choice). The handbook describes the dimensions along which a compilation system should be evaluated, enumerates some of the criteria that should be considered along each dimension, and provides guidance with respect to a strategy for evaluation. The handbook does not provide a cookbook for evaluation and selection. Nor does it provide information on specific compilation systems or compare different compilation systems. Rather it serves as a reference document to inform users of the options available when evaluating and selecting an Ada compilation system.