While the exact meaning of the DLR's announcement still remains quite obscure to me, I know about IronPython. Its author years ago started a project to show that .NET was a horrible platform to port dynamic language. Since he'd already ported Python to Java (the famous JPython is his) he tried to do the same for .NET. This was after the first official attempt at porting Python to .NET had failed horribly (performance was unacceptable). And much to his surprise he found out that in a very short time he'd come up with an implementation that could beat the native C version in certain benchmarks and could improve with time. So, instead of writing the original article, meant to bash .NET, he published a paper where he described his achievement and his belief that .NET could be a great platform for dynamic languages. He's been since hired by Microsoft where he managed to stress the importance of certain missing features for the needs of dynamic languages and some were introduced in .NET 2.0 (lightweight dynamic methods). But apparently there's more coming out. Anyway, open source project IronPython is not a C++ based implementation that calls into .NET (like DyalogAPL.NET), but a native implementation, completely written in C# (source code available on CodePlex). And, yes, as long as the project is alive there's hope for dynamic languages in .NET...
-- WildHeart'2k7 - mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] My digipics and blogs: http://spaces.msn.com/members/wildy2k5/ My Music: http://www.myspace.com/wildy2k7 > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:general- > [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of bill lam > Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2007 12:50 PM > To: General forum > Subject: Re: [Jgeneral] J and Microsoft's DLR > > I've not heard ironpython or DLR before. But I guess DLR allows non- > CLR based > scripting lanaguages like python, perl,... to call CLR and vice > versa. > Previously only VS C++ can do this. This sounds interesting, if DLR > were > available few years ago, there might no need to develop dyalog.net or > visualapl. > > Sherlock, Ric wrote: > > My understanding of dot net & the use of libraries isn't the > greatest. > > Can someone help translate what implications the new Dynamic > Language > > Runtime layer described in the following article might mean (if > > anything) for a J user? > > Ric > > > > <http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070430-microsoft-reveals- > dynamic > > -language-runtime-for-net.html> > > > > "Microsoft has unveiled a new Dynamic Language Runtime (DLR) layer > for > > the .NET development platform. Designed to simplify the process of > > bringing support for additional dynamic languages to .NET, the > Dynamic > > Language Runtime is largely based on lessons learned from > developing > > IronPython, an implementation of the Python programming language > that > > runs on .NET's Common Language Runtime (CLR). .... > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------- > --- > > For information about J forums see > http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm > > > > > -- > regards, > bill > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > - > For information about J forums see > http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
