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Javascript is the first language which targets the DOM. Great first step ! The future of Javascript, i think, will target all platforms. Consider it as a meta l

Javascript is the first language which targets the DOM. Great first step ! The future of Javascript, i think, will target all platforms. Consider it as a meta language to compile to native platforms is one way for the adoption of JS itself.

krapp 8y ago
>Consider it as a meta language to compile to native platforms is one way for the adoption of JS itself. Compiling to javascript was never a good idea, it was only ever, at best, an adequate kludge for which no alternative existed. Now we have Webassembly, an actual bytecode which can run on native platforms and the web, and which doesn't carry the semantic issues that come with compiling one high level language to another poorly written, poorly designed, poorly typed one and pretending it's basically the same as machine code running on bare metal. We can finally drive Javascript back to the web where it belongs and where it should remain quarantined.
- revskill 8y ago
  "meta language" doesn't mean "compiling to javascript".
  - krapp 8y ago
    Almost all javascript usage is either running it directly or compiling to it from another language. If you're talking about compiling from javascript to another language... that seems neither useful or desirable.
    - __ryan__ 8y ago
      > that seems neither useful or desirable. To you. JavaScript and TypeScript are the languages I am most productive in. There are use cases that I would benefit from being able to compile JavaScript to another language, or native code.
- tinus_hn 8y ago
  You are giving Javascript much less credit than it deserves. There is a reason it is used so much outside of webpages.
  - SilasX 8y ago
    Correct: a large userbase of script kiddies that already know it. “There are better operating systems than Windows. There are also better languages than English.”
    - folkrav 8y ago
      Yes, all JavaScript developers are script kiddies, of course. The language has its flaws of course, but come on. Gatekeeping doesn't do anything constructive.
      - SilasX 8y ago
        Neither do strawman arguments. The point is not that everyone who uses JS is a script kiddie, which is indeed false. The point is that it's the self-reinforcing wide adoption that encourages further use, not the great language design. I would say the same of Windows and English, even though there are great English speakers and Windows devs.
        folkrav 8y ago
        Not particularly disagreeing with you on the language design bit, the language has many flaws indeed. However I don't really agree on your interpretation over the reasons why the language is so popular. How are things like Node.js or supersets like Typescript/Flow self-reinforcing the language? If JS was a purely browser oriented language the argument would make sense as it's basically _the_ only language available (other than WASM, but that's still relatively niche), but it hasn't been for some time now.
        SilasX 8y ago
        I answered that: Lots of people learn coding by toying with JS (because of ease of setting up an environtment) -> large base of users willing to use the JS version of anything -> lots of development time invested in patching over its problems -> "Stars above, JS is so fast and has such great libraries!" None of that involves JS being a well-designed language, which was my original point and which you seem to agree with.
z3t4 8y ago
Some platforms do support JavaScript, but it's hard to keep up with the EcmaScript standard if you are making your own engine.

krapp 8y ago

>Consider it as a meta language to compile to native platforms is one way for the adoption of JS itself. Compiling to javascript was never a good idea, it was only ever, at best, an adequate kludge for which no alternative existed. Now we have Webassembly, an actual bytecode which can run on native platforms and the web, and which doesn't carry the semantic issues that come with compiling one high level language to another poorly written, poorly designed, poorly typed one and pretending it's basically the same as machine code running on bare metal. We can finally drive Javascript back to the web where it belongs and where it should remain quarantined.

revskill 8y ago
"meta language" doesn't mean "compiling to javascript".
- krapp 8y ago
  Almost all javascript usage is either running it directly or compiling to it from another language. If you're talking about compiling from javascript to another language... that seems neither useful or desirable.
  - __ryan__ 8y ago
    > that seems neither useful or desirable. To you. JavaScript and TypeScript are the languages I am most productive in. There are use cases that I would benefit from being able to compile JavaScript to another language, or native code.
tinus_hn 8y ago
You are giving Javascript much less credit than it deserves. There is a reason it is used so much outside of webpages.
- SilasX 8y ago
  Correct: a large userbase of script kiddies that already know it. “There are better operating systems than Windows. There are also better languages than English.”
  - folkrav 8y ago
    Yes, all JavaScript developers are script kiddies, of course. The language has its flaws of course, but come on. Gatekeeping doesn't do anything constructive.
    - SilasX 8y ago
      Neither do strawman arguments. The point is not that everyone who uses JS is a script kiddie, which is indeed false. The point is that it's the self-reinforcing wide adoption that encourages further use, not the great language design. I would say the same of Windows and English, even though there are great English speakers and Windows devs.
      - folkrav 8y ago
        Not particularly disagreeing with you on the language design bit, the language has many flaws indeed. However I don't really agree on your interpretation over the reasons why the language is so popular. How are things like Node.js or supersets like Typescript/Flow self-reinforcing the language? If JS was a purely browser oriented language the argument would make sense as it's basically _the_ only language available (other than WASM, but that's still relatively niche), but it hasn't been for some time now.
        SilasX 8y ago
        I answered that: Lots of people learn coding by toying with JS (because of ease of setting up an environtment) -> large base of users willing to use the JS version of anything -> lots of development time invested in patching over its problems -> "Stars above, JS is so fast and has such great libraries!" None of that involves JS being a well-designed language, which was my original point and which you seem to agree with.

z3t4 8y ago

Some platforms do support JavaScript, but it's hard to keep up with the EcmaScript standard if you are making your own engine.