I've always thought it would be a perfect language for things like aerospace. NASA, for example, uses unsafe languages like C and compensates for that with extremely rigorous processes. Of course, this means that it takes forever to get anything done.
I can't help thinking that using a better tool like ATS would actually increase productivity without compensating safety. If anything, the types would provide an extra sanity check! Of course, just using ATS won't be enough--most of the existing checks and reviews will still be necessary, but I do think it would be some improvement.
If the mission is critical, choosing programmers matters more that choosing languages. If ATS is hard to use, then it's the right choice because the users who mastered such difficult technique must be the smartest guys...
Or the dumbest, because you dont pick something that is more difficult than its need to be.. well designed languages should help you to focus on the problem domain
with little effort possible.. not on the language itself and its caveats..
Languages, as means to create programs that express some sort of logic, must get out of your way.. So i dont think its smart to pick a language because its hard, unless its for create new sorts of mind games and puzzles, and not by the sake of the final objective that is coding itself.. to create programs
I can't help thinking that using a better tool like ATS would actually increase productivity without compensating safety. If anything, the types would provide an extra sanity check! Of course, just using ATS won't be enough--most of the existing checks and reviews will still be necessary, but I do think it would be some improvement.