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Re: Article for Slashdot: Oracle for Java
Shlomi,
Your proposed article gave me a strong impression of misinformation
on your part about the Java programming language.
How deep is your knowledge of Java?!?
Have you ever sat down and actually written a serious application with
java?
Can you compare that experience to that of writing a serious application
in C++ ?
As compared to my experience in past serious C++ projects, I have found
that
programming in Java tends to CUT my programming time by one-third.
Among other things:
1. Very clean object oriented model.
2. The strict data typing, while a drag to get used to at first, makes
sure
that what you think your code does is the same as what your compiler
thinks it does. I can recall long nights of bug searching a C++ program,
only to find out later that I stumbled on a strange compiling
characteristic
of the C++ compiler. (Thank god for the books "Effective C++" and "More
Effective
C++" by Scott Meyers!!!)
3. Extremely easy to use threading and thread-synchronization abilities.
4. A LOTof thought on security is going into Java.
5. The SWING graphical API is extremely well organized and easy to use
(as compared to GTK (and even GTK--), for example), yet VERY able.
6. Ability to easily use java with HTML and different plugins within all
of the major browsers. For example, you can easily make use of VRML
plugins for your 3 dimentional needs rather than have to program in
OpenGL...
Currently both Internet Explorer 4 and
Netscape 4.06 support the current JDK1.1.x . There ARE a few missing
features
in the Internet explorer (which is one reason sun and microsoft are now in
court...),
but if these features are needed then there is no problem in using Sun's
own
virtual machine via javasoft's Activator.)
7. Applications can easily be ported to different computers with different
operating systems, usually without ANY touch to the code, even without a
need to recompile. While this was rather problematic in JDK1.0.2, I have
found out from my experience that since JDK1.1.x, this is getting easier
and
easier to do.
>From the Linux standpoint, this could be a rather rich source of programs
that
originate in Win95/NT and run without problem in Linux. (It is rather sad
though
that the current implementations of Java in linux are extremely slow
compared to
Win95/NT and other Unixes. I hope this will change soon)
> In Java, the most common data structures like a stack, a queue, or an
> associative array lie somewhere under the java.lang package and have
> names like java.lang.Stack or java.lang.Deque. Furthermore, they can
> only handle the most generic data-type: Object. This means that Oracle
> Programmers will have to implement their version of these containing
> either more basic data-types (such as the various integers) or derived
> classes of Object that will not require them to do the sub-classing
> all the time
Oracle programmers will ABSOLUTELY NOT have to recreate
new versions of the generic data-structures. They will merely need to
CAST their results to the wanted type.
> After all, how much can one do with a reference to
> Object?
Just about anything can EASILY be done. Think of references as
pointers to dynamically created objects, in which you don't have to
worry about wrong pointer arrythmetic or memory deallocation.
>"If Oracle proceed with their plan, I predict that:
>1. It will take a long time to develop, and consume Oracle of precious
>personnel and money.
>2. Once released, it will be ignored by professional administrators.
>3. Oracle will end up selling it to many end-users who will keep
>complaining, asking for constant support and demanding their money
>back.
>4. It may even break Oracle, in a time when its financial status is in
>prodigy anyhow".
Perhaps Oracle knows something you don't ?...
> If Oracle for Java comes out, I will not even want to try it.
In short, before you become a bigot of Java, try using it seriously,
and get up to date from a few articles in JavaReport and www.javaworld.com
I have a feeling you will REALLY enjoy the results.
Cheers,
Tal Davidson