Newsgroups: comp.lang.dylan
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From: ddyer@netcom.com (Dave Dyer)
Subject: Java vs. Dylan - what to do?
Message-ID: <ddyer-2804961424560001@192.0.2.1>
Sender: ddyer@netcom19.netcom.com
Organization: Andromeda Software
Date: Sun, 28 Apr 1996 21:24:55 GMT
Lines: 30


Why does the Java newsgroup get 500 messages a day, while this one
limps along with 5?  There's a massive positive feedback effect
going on, partly fueled by the astounding number of Java tools springing
out of the woodwork. see http://www.cybercom.net/~frog/javaide.html

Some of these tools are pretty radical, but most depend on Sun's
JDK, which consists of a text based (ie; stone age user interface technology)
compiler, interpreter, and debugger; but with the addition of a small,
relatively simple GUI, JDK has become a completely usable tool.

Mindy is just such a (stone age) tool as JDK.  Based on the sheer number
of IDE's that have spung up for Java, they can't be that hard to produce.

Or take that long.

Apple's Dylan environment is nice, but only 1% of the Macs on the planet
can run it.  Dylanworks is late, probably not to appear soon.  Gwydion
won't even hint at a release date.  While we all wait for these projects
to provide Nirvana, the battle for hearts and minds of the programmers who
are ready to forget C is being won by Java.

My modest proposal:  while we're waiting for the Players to boil the
ocean, create something for the rest of us.  I bet some of the Shareware
Java environments could be adapted in nothing flat; and I bet some of the
authors would be willing to cooperate.

-- 
My home page: http://www.andromeda.com/people/ddyer/home.html
or ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/dd/ddyer/home.html
