Google To Introduce New Programming Language — Dart

An anonymous reader sends this excerpt from El Reg: "Google has built a brand-new programming language for 'structured web programming,' one that appears to be suited to browser-based apps. Two of the search giant's engineers will discuss Dart, Google's new language, at the Goto international software development conference next month. News of the new language was posted to the Goto website. There aren't yet any technical details on Dart but the bios of the two Googlers presenting at Goto strongly suggest a bent towards programming for the web and browser."

Comments

Re:please please please

[Bill_the_Engineer]

Because not liking JS makes you look cool?

I take the Stephen Stills' approach to programming language: If you can't be with your dream programming language, just use the one you're with. :)

So what does this do different?

[Evangelion]

I'm kind of confused as to where google is going these days.

Is this just a side effect of hiring too many bored CS graduates -- put enough in a room together and they come up with their own languages?

I just can't see this being used outside of google -- Web Programming is largely a solved problem, and there are already a plethora of options. Since MS and Apple won't touch anything that comes out of Google, it'll only ever be relevant on the server side -- which is where there are already too many options.

Unless this does something radical -- and judging by what Go was, I doubt it -- this will probably be a niche thing they use internally.

Re:So what does this do different?

[yk4ever]

Web Programming is largely a solved problem, and there are already a plethora of options.

Business programming was largely a solved problem, you could choose between COBOL and Ada.

Even if the new language isn't used widely, its features might creep into existing ones and improve them (see MS Research, Haskell and C# 3.0+).

Re:So what does this do different?

[Anonymous Coward]

As someone who has had the misfortune of doing web programming for the past 5 years, after a decade of systems programming I can say that Web Programming is very much NOT a solved problem. At least not in the commercial world. The leading Java and .NET web frameworks are horrible to use.

A new language may not be needed, but programming for the web is already enough of its own beast that using a new framework in an existing language is already basically like using a new language.

I, for one, truly hope Dart is a radical improvement on Web Programming. Even if it doesn't succeed, hopefully it'll push the existing frameworks to be better.

Re:Great, another fucking language to learn

[somersault]

I thought Google have been doing this the whole time, ie 20% projects. Nothing wrong with releasing the ones that come to fruition. It's not detracting from other parts of their business, and it's bringing cool stuff into the community - some of which might be really useful. Google are one of the companies that actually has a chance of making a replacement to JS "stick", though convincing MS would be a very tall order indeed.

Re:Any DART jobs listed yet?

[Bob the Super Hamste]

After being in the programming field for a while now it seems that often companies that post those kind of job listings are looking for a reason to hire H1-B people. They can now legitimately go and say the couldn't find an American worker with that experience since obviously the job requires it and then hire some cheap labor. The other case is that it is a HR issue since they are told to find a senior programmer with experience with technology X. Technology x may only have been around for 2 or 3 years, but the HR drone immediately thinks they need someone with 10+ years of experience with technology x and then filter you out because you don't have that experience. I had that problem when I graduated college and companies were looking for people with 10 years of java experience even though the language had only been around for 5 years or so at that time

Re:Great, another fucking language to learn

[Anonymous Coward]

Is it sad that I don't even have to click that link to know what is behind it?