On May 13, 2005, at 3:58 AM, Ben Laurie wrote:
> Mark Brooks wrote:
>
>>> I hope you use C to write the VM for Harmony.
>>>
>> The chief objection I have to using C to write the VM is that it
>> introduces a host of common errors and delays associated with
>> using C or C++ for large products. C is an excellent language for
>> its purposes, but this isn't 1972. Java was created to resolve a
>> number of problems that arose from the ever-growing design of C++,
>> which I swear is rapidly becoming the new PL/1. We could use a
>> restricted subset of C++ I guess, but a lot of "gee-whiz" features
>> would have to be left out to assure cross-platform compatibility.
>> So why not use Java?
>>
>
> One of the reasons why not, from my POV, is because it runs so
> badly on most platforms. If you happen to use Windows, Solaris or
> Linux(? I don't, so I don't know) you may be happy developing in
> Java. Anywhere else, its a PITA.
>
> I've tried to sell C++ in the ASF many times. Even back when it
> wasn't quite so bloated as it is now it wasn't a popular idea. Far
> fewer people can write C++ than C, and hardly any of those can
> write _good_ C++.
I used to write good C++ (or so I thought :)
I'm happy dusting off C++ and using it again.
>
> So, I think we'll end up back at C. As I've said before, I'd like
> to see a framework that _allows_ most of the VM to be run in Java
> (or Python, or Perl, or Erlang, or whatever-floats-your-boat), but
> doesn't require it.
Right. And I really probably can't handle doing everything in C. It
will be like banging rocks together :)
But I think that this will be something we are led to by what gets
donated, or what we start playing with, rather than setting out the
direction before-hand
geir
--
Geir Magnusson Jr +1-203-665-6437
geirm@apache.org
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