[Novalug] [OT] New programming langugages based on JVM -- was "Scala users"

[Paul D. Bain]

James Ewing Cottrell 3rd wrote:

> Yeah, I saw that too.Plus, they said there was a catered lunch. Does it 
> cost anything to attend?
> 
> I peeked at a Scala book at Border's, but I didn't look long enough to 
> be impressed. I am more impressed with what I read online and will have 
> to go back for a longer peek.
> 
> Looks like it's another attempt to embrace and extend, oops...I mean 
> augment Java, similar to Groovy. Does anyone have any experience with 
> Groovy? And since I like Lisp, I'm interested in Clojure too. Dang...I'm 
> never gonna get to Python at this rate!

Jim,

	In recent months, the participants on the NoVA Java UG mailing list 
have discussed many, new programming languages whose compilers generate 
Java bytecode, allowing the compiled code to execute in a Java virtual 
machine (JVM), just as ordinary Java code does. These discussions have 
involved all of these languages: Groovy, JRuby, and Jython. Of these 
Java alternatives, the one that appears to be generating the most "buzz" 
among the _smart_ members of the NoVA JUG is probably JRuby, but that 
may change in the near future. At any rate, developments of JVM-based, 
Java alternatives is likely to continue to increase as Java programmers 
slowly wake up and realize that, in many respects, "plain vanilla" Java 
is inferior.

	If current trends continue, these JVM-based languages will, in the near 
future, become a _commonly-used_ alternative to Java. Corporate America 
and other large institutions will probably continue to use "plain 
vanilla" Java forever (Java has become the COBOL of the 21st century), 
but the smartest programmers are moving on to superior alternatives. 
This development should be no surprise. The smartest IT professionals 
are always the first to realize the potential of new technologies and 
methods.

Sincerely,
Paul Bain


> Paul D. Bain wrote:
>> John Warren wrote:
>>
>>> I've recently become slightly obsessed with this amazing language and 
>>> can't seem to find much of a local community.  Anyone else interested 
>>> in a Scala User group?
>>>
>>> -John W
>>
>> John,
>>
>>     Your request is very timely. A Scala conference will take place in 
>> NoVA soon. Furthermore, Scala was recently the topic of several 
>> discussions on the mailing list of the NoVA Java UG. See, e.g., these:
>>
>> A) First email:
>>
>> Gray Herter <gherter at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>>> FYI, the next meeting is described here, just so people can plan for it:
>>>
>>> http://www.eventbrite.com/event/434631996
>>>
>>> I will get the blog entry up soon.  Please tell your friends about 
>>> this one, because we will be giving out a pass to the next Nova 
>>> Software Symposium, which is in early Nov.
>>>
>>> Gray