[1129] in java-interest
what is wrong with an answer that has C++ sucks in it?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Jonathan Payne)
Sun Aug 20 04:56:56 1995
Date: Sat, 19 Aug 1995 20:41:12 -0700
From: jpayne@starwave.com (Jonathan Payne)
To: george@dvcorp.com
Cc: java-interest@java.Eng.Sun.COM
If you're happy with C++, bully for you.
(1) Java has bytecode portability, and all that that implies.
(2) Java has garbage collection.
(3) Java has a guaranteed multi-threaded environment (or it ain't
Java).
(4) Java has a nice exception model.
(5) Java is interpreted, which means
(a) it can be run in controlled environments
(b) it can be easily verified to be "correct"
and so can be used as a language for network distributed
applications.
(6) Java doesn't suffer from the fragile superclass pain in the ass.
(7) The Java bytecodes can be interpreted efficiently.
(7a) The Java interpreter is small.
(8) The Java runtime can turn bytecodes into machine code, so this
interpreted language doesn't hit the performance brick wall.
(9) Java doesn't have separate header files.
(10) The Java compiler can't be fooled into breaking interfaces by
modifying header files.
(11) Java can be understood, explained and used by the simplest of minds
(e.g., mine) without having a copy of the language manual by your
side.
(12) Code written in Java never smashes memory.
I know Java isn't the only language that has these (and other)
features. In fact, Java really only invented a couple new approaches
to problems. And C++ might even have a few of these features as well.
The reason "C++ sucks" is a reasonable answer is that (1) it sucks,
(2) most people doing object oriented programming are doing it in C++
and not liking it. The nicest thing I have ever heard said about C++
is that it's better than C.
From: George Reynolds <george@dvcorp.com>
Date: Fri, 18 Aug 1995 17:41:14 -0400
Subject: Re: overloading of operators
>>
>> >What is the point of Java? Its most unique point, byte code portability,
>> >will surely be adopted by C++ compiler as soon as Java proves whether it
>> >is worthwhile.
>>
>> You should switch to caffeinated coffee! :-)
>>
>> First, bytecode portability is not the only interesting thing about Java.
>> (In fact, I want an unportable native-code Java compiler.) Anyway,
>> Microsoft has been compiling C to bytecodes for years, so by your argument,
>> the disaster already happened.
>>
>> The point is that C++ has been flown into the ground, and we need a better
>> general-purpose language.
Who was on the plane and where did it hit?
You may not like C++ ... bully for you.
My problem with this thread is that most of the talk about Java
(starting with the opening page of the White Paper) is of the form:
C++ sucks
So lets repeat:
Whats the point of Java? And lets have an answer that does not mention C++.
George
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