Hi there, 1) I´ve read that the goal of this JSR and project is to bring other languages to the JVM with the same performance as java bytecode. Would this be like what Mono currently has?, I mean, the ability to develop third party add-ons that interface with the JVM engine, thus allowing for plenty of languages to run in the JVM?.
(Sorry, I´m asking as an end user, not a developer). 2) Now that Oracle owns Sun, perhpas it´d be a good idea to bring a Basic-like language to the JVM too. I remember Oracle had its OracleBasic as part of its PowerObjects package... or to revive the defunct Project Semplice that aimed to run Visual Basic syntax programs and compile those as Java bytecode. Three years ago, Sun Microsystems had a project to bring Visual Basic (VB) programmers to the Java platform, with an IDE that would just compile VB source code directly as Java bytecode, letting VB programmers create 100% Pure Java applications More info: http://blogs.sun.com/herbertc/entry/project_semplice_visual_basic_for With no Java learning curve, this would have brought millions of hobbyist programmers to the cross-platform, Java bytecode platform. Unfortunately, the programmers in charge of Project Semplice left Sun. With the current push for JavaFX, I think this is an excellent chance for Sun to bring Project Semplice back to life as a Visual Basic to Java (or JavaFX) translator. I´ve created a Facebook Group to ask Sun about this. Those interested, feel free to join http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=56023420682&ref=ts 3) For the record, here´s what Oracle Basic was (is?) ------ "Oracle kept the developer in mind when choosing the programming language for Power Objects—Oracle Basic. Oracle Basic is extremely similar to Visual Basic, with the additions of object extensions and Structured Query Language (SQL) extensions. BASIC is the most commonly-used programming language. Any developer familiar with any version of BASIC will be able to quickly and easily transition to writing Oracle Basic code in Power Objects. " http://docs.rinet.ru/Krikun/oun36fi.htm ------ 4) Why Visual Basic (or Oracle Basic, or OpenOffice Basic): because there´s still hundreds of thousands of hobby programmers out there with Visual Basic or Basic-language skills. See what Sun is missing by not releasing Project Semplice February 2009 survey shows VB6 still alive and kicking http://www.itjoblog.co.uk/2009/02/visual-basic-6-the-runtime-tha.html 5) In all these years for which I´ve been a Java VM user and advocate, I always thought it was a shame that plenty of people in the java camp became "Java language zealots" overlooking the possibilities of the Java VM as a runtime for OTHER languages. At least IBM´s Mike Cowlishaw realized this and created NetRexx, giving Rexx language programmers the ability to write code in the language they already knew, and create java bytecode from it. In short: People should be able to just fire an IDE, start typing in whatever language they know (VISUAL BASIC, PASCAL, PYTHON, etc) and then "compile as java bytecode", ending in a .jar file. Bringing Sun´s "Project Semplice" back to life would be a good start. Would MLVM make this easier to accomplish?. So... to make this long tirade short.... ¿Does what I say make any sense? Is there a chance of getting an "Oracle Basic" like language supported by the Java VM thanks to mlvm ?? Any contacts at Sun / Oracle to pursue this? Best, FC -- "Me gustaría vivir un tiempo razonable. Qué se yo, mil, dos mil años". -Ernesto Sábato _______________________________________________ mlvm-dev mailing list [email protected] http://mail.openjdk.java.net/mailman/listinfo/mlvm-dev
