CodeToJoy Newswire
April 2008
Satire Valley, CA
An open-source project surprised industry insiders today by announcing an implementation of the Java programming language on the JVM.
The language, dubbed jJava, reflects the current trend for using the JVM as a systems platform for various languages.
Wearing t-shirts featuring the jJava logo (a pair of Jacks), team members displayed the obligatory HelloWorld program to a group of interested developers:
Consequently, the team discussed some key advantages of the nascent language:
Flat Learning Curve
The jJava platform is an easy-entry point for busy Java programmers who simply don't have time to learn a new syntax. The team provided a comparative analysis with other languages on the JVM:
Leverage JVM libraries
As with other JVM tunnelers, the developer has access to the venerable Java libraries including IO, Reg Ex, collections, and concurrency.
Static Typing, Compilation
Though dynamic languages and type-inference are gaining mindshare, many developers prefer the tried-and-true comfort of a compiled language with static types. This plays to jJava's strengths.
Modern Features... Closures?
jJava contains annotations, generics, and state-of-the-art concurrency constructs. Closures are not yet supported in the language, but may be arriving soon, depending on the outcome of a spirited debate within the community of the parent, reference language.
Tooling
On this point, the team-spokesperson adopted a hushed tone, in order to underscore the passion and importance of their point: jJava enjoys a tremendous advantage in tooling. Because jJava is Java on the JVM, all modern IDEs, build tools, and code-coverage software will work with jJava.
Performance
When asked about performance, the team exchanged knowing glances and beamed. Insisting that the results were as-yet unofficial, the team crowed that improvements to the JVM in Java 6 may result in jJava being faster than Java.
Said one jJava developer, "We were really surprised by this. It is quite counter-intuitive, but the numbers look terrific."
Release Date
The team conceded that jJava is not yet available for public consumption, but is coming soon.
Off-the-record, a tech lead hinted that the team is hoping to complete a web framework, as a companion download to the language itself.
I'll stick with Java and my code will run 1x faster than jJava, thanks :P
ReplyDeleteIs like Bowie's 'turn and face the strain', Ch-ch-changes?
ReplyDeleteYou're one funny dude.
ReplyDeleteI take exception to your implication that JRuby is harder to learn that Jython!
Thanks for the notes everyone...
ReplyDeletere: ch-ch. Took me a minute to catch the phonetic phunny. Naturally, jJava is pronounced jay-Java.
re: jRuby. :-) Actually, I thought the Scala crowd would be the first to register a complaint.
Actually, there is jjvm.
ReplyDeleteBut nice one. I had to look at the date first before figuring it out. :)
@Aldrin. Thanks for the note. When I ran the idea past my focus group, some pointed out a Java VM.
ReplyDeleteThe spoof though is slightly different: jJava _is_ Java and yet not.
re: April 1. True, and that was intentional. However, the intent wasn't really to fool anyone (for long). There are plenty of spoofs on the blog and jJava may well reappear on this site, post 4/1.
ps. Some people have asked if this was a skewer of a particular language. (Happily, there have been queries about multiple languages.)
ReplyDeleteNo. I'm a big fan of some of the languages portrayed, and Java. I haven't used all of the languages mentioned but have no problem with any of them.
Will recent announcements which squashed hopes of closures in Java 7 (http://tinyurl.com/5vsczh) have an impact jJava? This is the sole missing feature that is keeping us from migrating to jJava at this point. I hope the team has a good plan for this.
ReplyDelete@Jeff. True, it is a big question: if Java is dead, does it necessarily follow that jJava is dead?
ReplyDeleteI'll contact the team and get a report out in '09 ;-)
I've never liked semi-compiled languages.It's like programming with thick gloves. Very convoluted. Like being in jail. I would take up C++ 0x if I was in someones shoes. Slower than Java? Jeez, give me a brake. Isn't it slow enough? If a man can't make sense out of a real compiled language with bare metal access and pointers, get a new job.
ReplyDeleteWhy isn't anyone talking about Clojure?
ReplyDeleteI couldn't program in this language, I need my array decls after the variable, before is just wrong. (String args[])
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the JVM language community! I'm looking forward to adding jJava to my list of JVM languages and incorporating jJava libraries into JRuby. I will also be studying very closely how jJava integrates with Java, and I'm sure there's a lot we can learn from each other about building languages for the JVM. JRuby and jJava has the potential to completely supplant Java as a developer's JVM language of choice, and I thoroughly support that. With languages like jJava on the JVM, we'll certainly be free of the Java prison very soon. Congratulations on a great idea!
ReplyDeleteyou serious? I prefer the brackets before the variable lol... I feel the array needs to be declared when you declare the type. The variable name is just a name.
ReplyDelete