[4626] in java-interest
Java: What's standard, what will it cost?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (David LeBlanc)
Tue Jan 9 16:40:01 1996
Date: Tue, 9 Jan 1996 12:36:02 -0700
To: java-interest@java.Eng.Sun.COM
From: David LeBlanc <dleblanc@thinkertools.com>
Hi;
This is directed toward the folks at Sun:
Java consists of several components; the language itself, and several
packages/class libraries. Of those, what _exactly_ will be submitted as the
"Java Standard"? This question arises as an implementation question
(assuming that my rich aunt dies, I have a free year or so, somebody gives
me those infinite monkey/typewriter combinations, or all of the above. :) ).
Some of the packages, although not seeming to be a part of the language per
se, do characterize the language - threads comes to mind most immediately.
Also, a case could be made that the AWT class definitions need to be part of
a standard, else the notion of portability will fly out the window, OR i'll
need an infinite amount of disk space for all of the window packages that
could/would appear.
In a nutshell, the question is: "Does the 'Java Standard' comprise the
language only, or does it include the external/public definitions of the
support packages as well?"
As for cost: I would guess that at some point your (Sun's) philanthropy
will end, and you will begin to charge for the JDK. Since it's unlikely that
my (nonexistant) rich aunt will die, that I will have a free year or so, and
not being interested in keeping monkeys in bananas and typewriter ribbons
(let alone clean up the monkey poop), i'll likely be using it. Have you set
a price for it yet, or are you going to let your licensees sell commercial
distributions?
Sincerely,
Dave LeBlanc
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