5 ms·

Are any languages currently closed source and still popular?

kognate 9y ago
Depends on how you define 'popular'. Delphi still has quite a following. JCL isn't going anywhere either.
macintux 9y ago
#8 on the tiobe index is VB .NET which is, I think, still closed source? #11 is Delphi/Object Pascal. MATLAB. Not much else.
- cies 9y ago
  I'd like to add MS Excell, but I have a very broad definition of programming :)
- algorithmsRcool 9y ago
  VB.NET has been open source for a few year now. https://github.com/dotnet/roslyn https://github.com/dotnet/roslyn https://github.com/dotnet/vblang https://github.com/dotnet/vblang
- FRex 9y ago
  Whether or not 'Delphi/Object Pascal' includes the largely compatible Lazarus + LCL + Free Pascal combo is a very big question here. Just 'Delphi' would be clearer, FPC refers to itself as an 'Open source compiler for Pascal and Object Pascal' : https://www.freepascal.org/ https://www.freepascal.org/ Because of FPC, arguably, if you use Delphi you're not exactly stuck in the unlikely event that it dies since in the worst case there is Free Pascal to move to, LCL and Lazarus (although I have no idea how it compares to modern late 2010s era Delphi and RAD Studio but it's at least something). Delphi also has a more or less proven track record, costs a lot, is pretty much enterprise tier item and has a multi million company behind it. I'd argue Object Pascal is not a closed language but a language that has few implementations, one major open one (FPC) and one major closed one (Delphi) and that the situation is even better than C# vs. Mono was, since Mono had a murky legal/patent situation (or maybe it was FUD, I'm not too into C#) and the situation was basically 'closed language with a closed implementation that happens to have an open implementation' while FPC and Delphi are more like brothers with Delphi not 'owning' the concept of Object Pascal in itself nor any patents that could threaten it in any way AFAIK.
tluyben2 9y ago
K/q, Mathematica
goldfeld 9y ago
Dyalog APL is an extremely interesting environment and implementation, with very good downloadable technical documentation, I suppose it might go for some lisps too.

Depends on how you define 'popular'. Delphi still has quite a following. JCL isn't going anywhere either.

#8 on the tiobe index is VB .NET which is, I think, still closed source? #11 is Delphi/Object Pascal. MATLAB. Not much else.

cies 9y ago
I'd like to add MS Excell, but I have a very broad definition of programming :)
algorithmsRcool 9y ago
VB.NET has been open source for a few year now. https://github.com/dotnet/roslyn https://github.com/dotnet/roslyn https://github.com/dotnet/vblang https://github.com/dotnet/vblang
FRex 9y ago
Whether or not 'Delphi/Object Pascal' includes the largely compatible Lazarus + LCL + Free Pascal combo is a very big question here. Just 'Delphi' would be clearer, FPC refers to itself as an 'Open source compiler for Pascal and Object Pascal' : https://www.freepascal.org/ https://www.freepascal.org/ Because of FPC, arguably, if you use Delphi you're not exactly stuck in the unlikely event that it dies since in the worst case there is Free Pascal to move to, LCL and Lazarus (although I have no idea how it compares to modern late 2010s era Delphi and RAD Studio but it's at least something). Delphi also has a more or less proven track record, costs a lot, is pretty much enterprise tier item and has a multi million company behind it. I'd argue Object Pascal is not a closed language but a language that has few implementations, one major open one (FPC) and one major closed one (Delphi) and that the situation is even better than C# vs. Mono was, since Mono had a murky legal/patent situation (or maybe it was FUD, I'm not too into C#) and the situation was basically 'closed language with a closed implementation that happens to have an open implementation' while FPC and Delphi are more like brothers with Delphi not 'owning' the concept of Object Pascal in itself nor any patents that could threaten it in any way AFAIK.

tluyben2 9y ago

K/q, Mathematica

goldfeld 9y ago

Dyalog APL is an extremely interesting environment and implementation, with very good downloadable technical documentation, I suppose it might go for some lisps too.