Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft to Take on Java Again With J#
CptnKirk writes: "Many people liked Visual J++ as an IDE. The settlement with Sun, following it's Java suit, pretty much stopped this development. Apparently Microsoft is back at it again, with another attempt to bring Java development back to the Windows platform. J# (Jay Sharp), will be part of Visual Studio .Net, and provides "an implementation of the Sun Java spec". It however has IMHO some very severe limitations. It's not actually Java(TM) compliant, doesn't product bytecode, or read Java raw bytecode, or run in a VM. It also doesn't support Java runtime features past 1.1.4.
The InfoWorld article is here. As a Java developer, to me creating a product that is supposed to be some sort of Java tool that doesn't support any of Java's useful features or even latest language spec, doesn't cut mustard. I liked VJ++, it was a solid IDE and if it supported JDK 1.4 I'd be all for it. I wish Microsoft would just produce a good IDE, and not screw with the language."
Why do this? Why bother coming out with a castrated, nearly unusable product that only supports an obsoleted version of the product that they're trying to kill? Especially when it's going to be competing for developer mindshare with the language that they really want to push to kill Java (C#, if you've been under a rock for the past year or so)?
I mean, maybe MS is hoping that people will try to use it so that they get pissed off at Java and go with C#? Do they really think that developers, even Windows ones (-: j/k, I'm a Delphi guy myself), are too stupid to look up non-MS Java information? What do they think will happen when those developers realize that they're getting the shaft to try to push them away from Java?
Anywho... Makes me wonder...
Pax, Ardax
So much speculation and nothing has been proven yet. The best way to cut through this hype is to wait and let the .NET platform (along with all the #'s) prove itself...if it can. When I see a full scale application running on Unix, I'll take it seriously. I'm still waiting to see an enterprise scaled (stable!) application using COM, MTS, or COM+.
For the time being, I can't see J# making much of an impact. If someone is going to write an application using Java syntax, why would they not gear it for the proven JVM rather than something that has done nothing and could fall to the same fate as J++?
I agree MS can make quality IDEs. I personally find Vi to be the most efficient place to write code, but can see how a good IDE would go far.
For all the conspiracy theorists, there is a very good reason for J#... porting existing J++ code over to .Net. Also, as a side benefit(!?) you can port most Java code over to .Net. Some bright person in our organization decided that we were going to move to .Net going forward, and our port has saved us weeks of development time.
Personally, I would NEVER use it as a primary development language. There are quit a few issues with it, but its a life saver for people porting.
Windows.NET will, XP is just Windows 2000 with a modified UI and additional support applications. In fact the kernels (2000 vs. XP) are surprisingly similar - XP's version number is 5.1 (2000's is 5.0).
.NET, there was a language called COM+ (not the COM mananger they shipped) which was never released (although there are two articles in msj now msdn).
.NET comes into play.
Microsoft probably uses a "custom" C/C++ compiler (not the old VC++ one) - I'm not sure if you remember, but before
For years microsoft has had the ability to target multiple platforms - they've had the "MSIL" for years - read "debugging the development process".
Microsoft will move to other platforms, but to do so developers will need to make their code portable, which is where
Besides allowing the J++ developers to port their code to .Net, this leaves the doors wide open and make it easy (easier anyway, they are massive) for a third party to implement the Java APIs (e.g. the J2EE family on top of .Net. To my way of thinking, that could have a lot of value.
.Net by making sure the language syntax isn't a barrier. Sure C# isn't all that far from Java, but now the language is no excuse at all. (The API learning curve may be a barrier but Microsoft has made that easy to get into through Intellisense, wizards, etc.)
To use a hockey analogy:
So Microsoft isn't allowed to score with the Java puck on the Sun goal anymore. But are they prohibited from making an assist? Nope.
Also, there is the idea that they may simply be trying to lure Java developers as a whole into
You know it's funny.. I just went to the MS DevDays conference this last week and no mention was made of J#. Hmm....
Please mod this post only if you think others should/n't read this. I have enough ego^H^H^Hkarma. Thanks!