🚀 go-pugleaf

metzele@ibm.net wrote:
: >Has anyone thought of implementing an Oberon compiler for the Java 
: >Virtual Machine?

I've wondered the same thing... especially after reading about and Ada
effort to do something like this.

: Well, I've thought about it, but that's as far as I think I'll get for now.
: You probably got the idea reading the Java introduction, that says something like
: "we chose the well-known syntax of C++ so Java would be picked up easily by
: many programmers". Meaning that all the poor newcomers will have to go through
: the whole mess, too...

: Stefan Metzeler

I've already gotten sick of hearing all the hype about Java. 

I have no experience with Java... so I hope I can be forgiven for any
wrong assumptions I have about it. I was excited at first to hear about
the Java language and the Java virtual machine that ran Java applets in
a Java enabled browser...

But my excitement didn't last long. The media makes no differentiation
between any of the above mentioned uses of the word "Java". Take 
Christine Comaford's column in the Jan. 8, 1996 PC Week. Telling us 
that "Java, or some variation, is going to become part of your life"
without making any real distinction between the language, VM, applets
or browers...

I've even seen questions about whether Java should be a first programming
language to be learned... I didn't like the idea of C or C++ being the
first language. I have serious doubts that a language based on C++
would work out well in this capacity.

Apple is still pushing OpenDoc... from what I understand, Oberon/F is
already on the migration path to OpenDoc. Perhaps this is where the
Oberon community should focus it's attention. Do any of the other
implementations support or plan to support OpenDoc?

Just because Java is "hot" right now doesn't mean it is the right thing
to do. Java is unproven as a programming language. I could say the same
about the VM, etc. If the Oberon community is able to produce a better 
product with OpenDoc... AND eventually get the world to see that is it
better, then there's no reason to "go along with the crowd" and produce
Java applets with Oberon.

Maybe if the cards are played right... Oberon/OpenDoc will become as 
strongly associated as C/Unix... or MS-Windows/Visual Basic... or 
Java/HotJava... ;)

Thanks for listening to my humble thoughts,
Eric