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The node.js JavaScript surge reminds me a bit of the early days of Java, where everyone went to implement whatever existed in C/C++ for Java. Only that this tim
by Nitramp 15y ago
The node.js JavaScript surge reminds me a bit of the early days of Java, where everyone went to implement whatever existed in C/C++ for Java. Only that this time people stick a ".js" in the end instead of a "J" in the front.
If history has a lesson, most of this will not be wildly successful, because the js environment is not suitable for the task to be an actual practical solution.
- justincormack 15y agoSurely if that bit of history says anything then this will be successful? There is a big incentive for languages to reimplement natively, for Java it was cross platform consistency and security, for js in the browser it is complete unavailability of a native code API. (for node.js I am not really convinced though). Sure there are some issues with js, eg binary support in browser is painful, and it is slow, but Java started off slow and lacking features too. It is improving. Is now a good time to work on things like this? Why not. Especially if they feed into language and API improvements.
- Nitramp 15y agoSurely if that bit of history says anything then this will be successful? Not sure. Lots of people reimplemented lots of stuff for Java, but it turns out Java was only successful in the sweet spot for it (networked server side language); it never replaced C/C++ in any meaningful way. I expect the same with JavaScript, it will flourish in its niche (in particular as it has a monopoly as the in-browser-language), but it won't replace established languages on their respective home turf.
- wisty 15y agoIt did replace C/C++ in a meaningful way. I think there's probably more Java jobs out their than C/C++. Though C/C++ is still much better than Java in a lot of areas, no doubt. You can't write a good looking app, or get write a kernel. Maybe "replace" is a bad word though. Java complimented C/C++, creating a whole new market.
- Nitramp 15y agoThat's what I mean, Java didn't replace C++, it found its own market. Thus there is little point in porting everything (for appropriate values of everything) to Java (or JavaScript); you aren't gonna need it there.
- justincormack 15y agoPretty much everything has been ported to Java. Almost no one programming in Java uses native libraries at all. I cant think of libraries that were not ported; the Java ecosystem is now very self comtained relying on innovation within its own community. Essentially Java replaced C++ in most of the enterprise programming market.
- nitrogen 15y agoYou can't write a good looking app I beg to differ. By using a custom look and feel or rendering your own UI using Java2D, it is entirely possible to make attractive software in Java.
- nitrogen 15y agoNormally I don't comment on meta issues like downvotes, but as someone who writes attractive Java software, could someone please explain why my comment addressing a common misconception is receiving multiple downvotes? I also neglected to mention that people are making attractive apps using Java on Android.
- deskamess 15y agoSuch efforts may not 'succeed' on the whole. However there is great benefit to this young language when a popular utility can be implemented to highlight the weakness of a particular runtime implementation, or even the underlying language. Git/Hg clients touch network io, file io, and rudimentary hashing in the normal execution path. So it makes for a good subject.
- jrockway 15y agoFeel free to use Gitteh, then: https://github.com/libgit2/node-gitteh https://github.com/libgit2/node-gitteh. There's more than one way to do it.