Re: Re: Java API

Hi Ralf,

On Monday 20 February 2006 23:51, Ralf Juengling wrote:
> 
> What do you have in mind when interfacing to Java anyway?
> Does Java have a good GUI toolkit?

Well actually, there are a number of ways in which it could be used.

Java does have an extensive native GUI toolkit and there are a couple of alternatives 
(i.e. SWT, gtk-java), but that is just one consideration.

A more compelling reason to interface to java is the extensive number of libraries
(many open source ones are available through the Apache project [Jakarta Commons, etc.], 
for instance. Another reason is the enterprise level server implementations that 
are available (J2EE, Spring, JBoss, and whole slew of others.) which can be controlled
to much more advantage by using a dynamic programming language (something
that Sun is trying to bring into play by offering scripting language interfacing in 
the future).

Whoever wants to can use whatever feature of Java is available, just depends on
what the end-developer wants. Since Java has so much support behind it this should 
be leveraged by Lush to its best advantage. 

A version of Lush written in Java is even feasible, with the advantages of running 
on more platforms and being more easily maintained (working with Java is more 
efficient in the long term, than say C++. Slower, in some cases, but newer
compilers produce native object code and gcj (gcc java) produces fully compiled
code (no bytecode). It would be easier to go from C to Java, than to a non C-like
language. Ideally, a fully native Lush implementation compiling itself straight
to executable form would be even better. Sometime in the future maybe ...

The real issue here is not Java, though. The real issue concerns empowering developers 
using Lush even more. If that means interfacing to XYZ language, then go for it.
Java is a good candidate (popular, extensive). .Net is a good candidate also, which
can be accessed through the Mono project (on MS and other platforms). A possible
consideration.

Adding more cross-language, cross-platform capabilities to Lush brings it closer
to being a full-featured (Lisp) Universal Software Hub. Moving in this direction
will cause more developers, spanning more varied development areas, to take a 
look at Lush as tool.

Later.

Raymond




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