Newsgroups: comp.lang.smalltalk,comp.lang.object,comp.lang.c++
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!das-news2.harvard.edu!news2.near.net!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!gatech!newsfeed.pitt.edu!uunet!boole!jka
From: jka@boole.com (John Ahlstrom)
Subject: Re: C++ and Smalltalk Productivity
Message-ID: <1995Jan12.192439.28859@boole.com>
Organization: Boole & Babbage, Inc.
References: <1995Jan11.214042.15872@boole.com> <3f38h9$cuo@sci3.sri.ucl.ac.be>
Date: Thu, 12 Jan 1995 19:24:39 GMT
Lines: 45
Xref: glinda.oz.cs.cmu.edu comp.lang.smalltalk:19482 comp.lang.c++:107139

In <3f38h9$cuo@sci3.sri.ucl.ac.be> Peter Henriksen <ph@mema.ucl.ac.be> writes:

>jka@boole.com (John Ahlstrom) wrote:
>>
>> I am looking for documented or anecdotal descriptions of actual experience
>> that allows comparison of actual C++ and Smalltalk programmer productivity.
>> 
>> Here is one such description:
>> 
>>  "About a year ago a large North American corporation suspended
>>  all Smalltalk development, began all new development in C++
>>  and began converting existing Smalltalk to C++.
>> 
>>  In one conversion from Smalltalk to C++ an 8 person group
>>  including many of the 6 original Smalltalkers produced in 12 months
>>  about 80% of the functionality that a 6 person group
>>  produced in Smalltalk in 3 months.  Roughly 6*3 : 8*12 or
>>  18:96 or 5+:1 productivity edge for Smalltalk."
>> 
>>  They have abandoned their plans to convert old applications
>> from Smalltalk to C++ but are doing all new development in C++.
>I guess many people in this group will find similar descriptions 
>interesting, but do you mind reading it carefully through again
>and see if this is really what you wanted to post? It doesn't make
>much sense as it stands. Either you swapped C++ for Smalltalk here
>and there, or you are not telling the whole story (a few comments
>about the type of application, the development environment, 
>C++/Smalltalk experience of the group etc, might change this story
>from merely interesting to useful).

>Peter

Thank you Peter.

This is not the story of what we did.  It is the story I received from
another company.  I am certain that the details you ask for would be
valuable.  They were not available when I received the story.

If anyone else can provide similar tales, the more details you
can provide the better we others will be able to evaluate them.
-- 
John Ahlstrom			I can neither confirm nor deny 
Boole & Babbage			that these opinions are or are not
3131 Zanker Rd			held by anyone else.
San Jose CA 95134
