[VANILLA-L:1219] Re: Futures

[James Cameron <cameron@stl.dec.com>]

Jeffrey Nowakowski wrote:
> I think Java is the way to go.  It may be premature, but I know I'm
> not going to spend a lot of energy into maintaing the C code if it's
> going to be obsolescent.  [...]
> So, what do others think?

I disagree.

Language issues are semi-religious.  Every time I've seen someone
suggest porting to a new language I've found afterwards it is because
either 

	(a) they don't know C very well,

	(b) they know the new language very well, or

	(c) they want to use their learning of the new language to further
their career.

The code already exists in C.  The least effort solution is therefore to
keep it in C and make improvements.  

If the improvements require abilities that are non-trivial to implement
in C, then other languages could be considered.  At this time I don't
know of any improvements that require other languages.  I do see some
improvements that would be assisted by other tools or packages, such as
GTK.

So I'm afraid I will heartily resist the use of Java.

I could push some other languages I am familiar with; see my signature
for samples.  But I can't see the effort justified.

Java advocates push platform independance, but I don't think this is
significant.  I know of only two platforms that we need to support; Unix
and Windows.

-- 
James Cameron                                      (cameron@stl.dec.com)

OpenVMS, Linux, Firewalls, Software Engineering, CGI, HTTP, X, C, FORTH,
COBOL, BASIC, DCL, csh, bash, ksh, sh, Electronics, Microcontrollers,
Disability Engineering, Netrek, Bicycles, Pedant, Farming, Home Control,
Remote Area Power, Greek Scholar, Tenor Vocalist, Church Sound, Husband.

"Specialisation is for insects." -- Robert Heinlein.
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