Date: Sun, 25 Aug 1996 14:31:38 +0930 (CST) From: Michael Smith <msmith@atrad.adelaide.edu.au> To: nate@mt.sri.com (Nate Williams) Cc: doug@sun1paztcn.wr.usgs.gov, chat@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: JDK 1.02 Message-ID: <199608250501.OAA27269@genesis.atrad.adelaide.edu.au> In-Reply-To: <199608241908.NAA12878@rocky.mt.sri.com> from "Nate Williams" at Aug 24, 96 01:08:30 pm
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Nate Williams stands accused of saying: > > Sure it will be, as long as you don't throw an interface on it. And, if > you do there is *NO* language/API that is consistant across platforms, > although Java is the closest I've seen. (When using Netscape, a Java > applet on a Windows box looks like one on a Sun, which is like the applet on a > FreeBSD box, etc...) You can't do that in *any* existing language/API > that I'm aware of. Then you haven't used Tcl/Tk. You can add the Macintosh to the list too, for both. The point here is that platform independence is a matter of sweat, not of any inherent virtue or flaw in any given language. If a crossplatform language is to serve its users well, it should be relatively orthogonal, extensible, and not unduly complex. It should also abstract the machine interface sufficiently to be usable, without being trapped in the smallest-subset mold. Unfortunately, Java was the wrong language, chosen by the wrong people, in a stiuation of considerable desperation and who-only-knows what sort of political and financial climate. What can be made of the sow's ear is still up in the air, but I think most of the criticisms levelled at Java could be reworded and directed at most other languages. One observation worth considering is that it's not usually the first into the marketplace to succeed, but the first serious followup. I don't think we've seen this followup yet. For it to win any favour with anyone other than the hyperbolists it's going to have to be more than someone's pet language dressed up for the parade. > Nate -- ]] Mike Smith, Software Engineer msmith@atrad.adelaide.edu.au [[ ]] Genesis Software genesis@atrad.adelaide.edu.au [[ ]] High-speed data acquisition and (GSM mobile) 0411-222-496 [[ ]] realtime instrument control (ph/fax) +61-8-267-3039 [[ ]] Collector of old Unix hardware. "Where are your PEZ?" The Tick [[
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