[Mono-list] Wheen someone asks about java...

[Kunle Odutola]

>
> --- Bob Salita <bsalita@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > Which major, mature and widely used languages
> > are these? Is the implementation major, mature
> > and widely used, or just the language?
>
> Among compilers, I have used Jython (Python) and
> Scheme.  I have experimented with Eiffel and Ada
> compilers to JVM, and they seemed OK for application
> delivery, but I don't have much experience with
> them. Phipps, while at IBM, built a compiler for
> NetRexx, a widely used IBM scripting language.
> PERCobol looks pretty serious to me, although I
> haven't used it.

Of these, only JPython classifies as major, mature and widely used as far as
soundings in the community goes. There is also a commercial SmallTalk that
I've come across a lot.

> AspectJ is a Java extension that
> is more and more used for commercial projects (there
> is no equivalent in the C# world).

Aspect-oriented programming can be supported trivially with custom
attributes on the .NET platform.

> I also have my doubts that if CLR actually catches
> on, anything other than C# will be very significant
> in the long run.  Vague promises of C++ and VB
> by Microsoft are a carrot to their developers to
> make the switch more palatable, but I don't think
> they are really meaningful.

I have no such doubts as all three languages serve very different audiences.
C++ (managed) - allows native and managed code to be developed in a single
language. For pure managed apps, C# (or VB) is a better choice
VB 		  - supports new and the millions of exisiting VB/VBA/VBScript/BASIC
developers
C#            - supports existing C/C++/Java developers and new C# recruits
(MS's answer to Java's advance in academia)


Kunle