Programming Languages Will Become OSes

Anonymous Coward writes "A couple of months ago, at the Lightweight Languages Workshop 2002, Matthew Flat made a premise in his talk: Operating systems and programming languages are the same thing (at least 'mathematically speaking'). I find this interesting and has a lot of truth in it. Both OS and PL are platforms on which other programs run. Both are virtualizing machines. Both make it easier for people to write applications (by providing API, abstractions, frameworks, etc.)"

Comments

Programming languages become OSes?

[Anonymous Coward]

Already happened: Microsoft BASIC ==> Microsoft Windows

Use Emacs

[aridhol]

If you use Emacs, you have a programming language, OS, and editor all in one happy package.

Re:Use Emacs

[SquadBoy]

Yea but you would have to port VIM to get a *good* editor.

Re:Use Emacs

[NetRanger]

Perhaps, but VIM doesn't include free pshyciatric help for after you've used it. Think about it.

Re:Use Emacs

[bperkins]

Found in someone's sig file:

Emacs: It's a nice OS, but to compete with
Linux or Windows it needs a better text
editor. - Alexander Duscheleit

C64

[dardem]

Glad I didn't throw out my C64!

Re:Well I think....

[captain_craptacular]

Gee, I didn't realize mozilla was a programming language. I'm going to go now and arrange my tabs into a lexographic sequence and get them to do something new, maybe say hello world.

And all this time

[pete-classic]

I though web browsers and OSes were the same thing.

-Peter

Why, yes, this was what I was missing all along!

[NetRanger]

This astute piece of observation has made me become far more transcendental. Now I realize that we're all just connected.

Yet I shall take this wisdom even further: the digital universe is based upon everything being opposite, where you have everything and nothing.

That's deep, man.

The 2008 Operating System Review

[wackybrit]

In the future, when all programming languages will become operating systems, there'll be a lot of competition. Choose the operating system that works the best for you:

C OS - Every single task you want to achieve has to be split into fifty bite size actions.

COBOL OS - The literati's dream OS! No longer must you click and drag, but instead type bizarrely syntaxed English to do your work! PROGRAM OPEN CALCULATOR AS NEW PROGRAM

Perl OS - An open source OS worked on by a bunch of extremely crazy (but clever) bearded anoraks. You can do EVERYTHING in one click or one line of code. Oh, face it, it's just the future of Linux.

PHP OS - This OS was originally the shell for Perl OS, but some wimps who couldn't work out the Perl way of doing things decided to turn it into their own 'paint by numbers' OS. Unfortunately you can only access the Internet with PHP OS, no off-line facilities are available.

C++ OS - A simple upgrade to C OS. Still just as complicated, but the ++ makes it cooler to use and adds a host of useless features that are non standard across all implementations. Besides, C OS is for old fogeys.

Python OS - Supposedly this exists, but since no-one cares, we won't go into it.

Ruby OS - EVERYTHING is an object. Want to open your calculator app? calculator.open; please. Need to enter some numbers? calculator.buttons[8].press; It's long, tedious, but at least it makes logical sense.

BASIC OS - Joe six pack's answer to operating systems. This is Microsoft XP in the future. Anything can be done with point and click, but it's slow, crashes a lot, and is totally lame. Oh, I'm already talking about XP here aren't I?

Re:Emacs!

[ketamine-bp]

Just to elaborate (and make it funnier.)

Emacs is Emacs Lisp.

If Emacs = Emacs Lisp, either that Lisp is 1 (universal truth) or Emacs is 0 (universally untrue).

Hence, this statement is somehow applicable to both vi zealots and emacs zealots, and should not be considered Emacs-speak ;-) (supporters alike - i prefer no flames on this matter, please.)

Soylient Green is people!!!

[ravic]

Must be a slow news day. If this news story can make it, why not try these posts?

1. Programming and C are the same thing
2. North Dakota and South Dakota are the same thing.
3. Sneakers and tennis shoes are the same thing
4. Pop and soda are the same thing
5. Fat and big boned are the same thing

In other news

[interstellar_donkey]

Steering wheels and tires are the same thing.

Both are required for the succesful opperation of a car. Each require steel in their construction for structural reinforcement. In a pinch, and with a little engineering, theoretically one could be used to replace the other.

But most striking in their simularities: Both are round.

Re:Why, yes, this was what I was missing all along

[k98sven]

To paraphrase "the tao of programming":

"I don't know whether I am an operating system dreaming that I am a programming language,
or a programming language dreaming that I am an operating system!"

Addendum

[Amsterdam Vallon]

Java OS - True object orientation meets platform-independent code. Boot once, run it on anything. However, it takes 10 seconds alone to start each application's virtual machine. Early benchmarks indicate cold program starts of the Mozilla browser approaching the 60 minute mark on a dual Pentium system. Future benchmarks are planned and will be measured using a sun dial.

*less* bloated OS

[gosand]

If you use Emacs, you have a programming language, OS, and editor all in one happy package.

Yes, be we want OSs to get LESS bloated, not more.

Re:Really?

[jgerman]

A lot of comments that are being made here seem a little funny to me

Ahem. That's because they're jokes.

Re:Really?

[kin_korn_karn]

Spock! Is! That! You?!?!?

"A joke.. is a story with a humorous climax?"

Programming language as OS?

[Fredbo]

10 A$="Who ever heard of that? It'll never work"
20 PRINT A$
30 GOTO 20

With Emacs, you really NEED psychiatric help!

[Doug Merritt]

Perhaps, but VIM doesn't include free pshyciatric help for after you've used it. Think about it.

But if you use VIM, you won't need psychiatric help, whereas with Emacs, of course you do, so of course it provides it. ;-)

The application becomes the shell

[frovingslosh]

I'm waiting for the application to bcome the shell.

You are in a directory, there are many files here. A path leads to the the south and down labeled Mydocuments.

> look

There are files here labeled read.me, config.sys and autoexec.bat. A path leads to the the south labeled Mydocuments.

> take read.me

taken.

> kill read.me

You smite the file labeled read.me and it crunbles to dust.

There are files here labeled config.sys and autoexec.bat. A path leads to the the south labeled Mydocuments.

> South

You move through the passage and reach the grand chamber of Mydocuments. There are many files here. Passages lead further south and down labeled Mymusic and Mypr0n. To the north is a passage leading up......