[473] in java-interest
Re: Java on OpenDoc
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Ed Anuff)
Fri Jun 23 14:49:29 1995
Date: Fri, 23 Jun 1995 11:21:24 -0800
To: java-interest@java.sun.com
From: edanuff@protagonist.com (Ed Anuff)
Cc: kevinpu@attachmate.com (Kevin Purcell)
Kevin Purcell wrote:
>Ed Anuff said:
>>I've heard that Apple's Dylan language was meant to be a cross-platform
>>language for OpenDoc, but according to a recent MacWeek, Apple has gone
>>back to the drawing board with that idea.
>
>This is not correct. Dylan is a more long term solution to the problems of
>solftware developement. It was never meant as a cross-platform language for
>OpenDoc. Apple is rethinking their current approach to a Dylan product (the
>product was way behind schedule and used to many resources to be useful)
>however they are still behind Dylan.
I stand corrected. I meant to say that Dylan would have been usable as a
cross-platform language for OpenDoc, not that that was its sole or even
primary purpose. From what I've seen of Dylan it is in fact oriented
towards more mainstream application developement. As I mentioned in my
original post, OpenDoc leaves choice of language to the developer.
>OpenDoc provides a cross-platform mechanism for automation, as extension of
>the OSA but provides no policy in the form of a cross-platofrom scripting
>language of choice. Java could be useful in this as becoming the OpenDoc de
>facto cross-platform language. But this will not be forced on the users of
>OpenDoc -- Mac users will probably still choose AppleScript, OS/2 users
>will use Rexx and Windows users will get something that interoperates with
>Visual Basic (like Denali). This policy neutrality of OpenDoc is going to
>be critical to OpenDoc success. Perhaps Java will find a slot.
There is a distinction between scripting from an automation standpoint (ie.
sending messages to the OpenDoc part) and programming the part itself.
While you might use AppleScript to control an OpenDoc part, the part itself
would be written in a SOM compatible language (right now probably C/C++).
You're right that scripting for OpenDoc will probably always be the domain
of languages like AppleScript, Rexx, or VB. Where things start to get
exciting is if it becomes possible to write OpenDoc parts in Java (or like
in my original post, wrap the Applet in an OpenDoc part) because then you
can combine the cross-platform UI of OpenDoc with the crossplatform code of
Java.
Anyway, I think we're both in agreement that the sooner the Mac version is
ready, the better.
Ed
Ed Anuff
edanuff@protagonist.com
http://www.protagonist.com/
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