News
Ada debuts; bigger computer facility for CRAGS
By Neil Myers
Computers seem to be moving
in everywhere these days, and
Capitol Campus is no exception.
In January, Capitol became one
of the first schools in central
Pennsylvania to teach a new com
puter language, while it also ex
panded its micro-computer
facilities.
The Ada programming
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language is being taught for the
first time here in Math Science
408 by. Dr. M. Susan Richman,
Associate Professor of
Mathematics.
The "Ada"trademark is licens
ed to the Defense Department,
which developed the language to
replace well-known languages like
FORTRAN and COBOL. Accor
ding to Dr. Richman, it is ex
pected to make maintenance of
sou ware (programs) easier and
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eliminate the confusion of what
she said were "450 to 1500 in
compatible languages".
This is the first time such a
course has been offered anywhere
within Penn State, Richman
noted, and it is one of the first in
central Pennsylvania.
Dr. Richman, one of 15 univer
sity educators who attended an
Ada training program last sum
mer at Fort Monmouth, New
Jersey, said Ada is also unique
Page 5
because its variable names are
especially easy to use, and
because it can avoid program
failure even if the operator goofs
Ada, she said, is "very
possibly" the wave of the future,
since the Defense Department is
slowly requiring that most of its
computer operations convert to
the language.
Based on that assumption, Dr.
Richman is planning ahead. She
said the introductory Ada course
and a more advanced course will
be offered here in the fall.
She is also anticipating a grant
that would allow the campus to
purchase what she called a
"large-ish" computer. That would
open more positions in the Ada
courses, which are currently
limited to 10 students because
Ada uses relatively large amounts
of computer time on the Penn
State network.
Meanwhile, it was moving day
last month for Continuing Educa
tion's micro-computer lab in the
CRAGS Building. Continuing
moved its 17 Apple 2-E's to a
larger facility in the same
building.
Ronald Melchiorre, Area Direc
tor for Continuing Education,
said the move provided better
lighting and more room for the
computers without reducing
classroom space.
Although the change forced the
relocation of Police Services
within CRAGS and bumped the
Photo Club into new quarters
across the street, the dust seems
to be settling.
"I like the change," said,
Charles Alesky, Supervisor of
Police Services.
"Maintenance really did a
super job," Melchiorre added
He said Continuing Ed is cur
rently using the computers in an
array of seminars and courses for
business, industry, the Bureau of
Prisons, teacher instruction, and
computer certification. There are
even three "computer camps"for
children being offered this
semester.
Because the Apples are, as
Melchiorre put it, "really being
heavily used,"he is hoping for a
loan or donation to purchase
some IBM personal computers.
He plans to expand offerings in
FORTRAN and COBOL with the
new machines.
The existing Apples were pur
chased in April of 1983.