Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Kawa 2.0 Supports Scheme R7RS

Posted by timothy on from the multi-lingual dept.

First time accepted submitter Per Bothner (19354) writes "Kawa is a general-purpose Scheme-based programming language that runs on the Java platform. It combines the strengths of dynamic scripting languages (less boiler-plate, fast and easy start-up, a REPL, no required compilation step) with the strengths of traditional compiled languages (fast execution, static error detection, modularity, zero-overhead Java platform integration).

Version 2.0 was just released with many new features. Most notably is (almost) complete support for the latest Scheme specification, R7RS, which was ratified in late 2013. This LWN article contains a brief introduction to Kawa and why it is worth a look."

3 of 62 comments (clear)

  1. Traditional by phantomfive · · Score: 4, Insightful

    the strengths of traditional compiled languages....zero-overhead Java platform integration

    I never thought I'd hear someone say that Java integration is a traditional strength of compiled languages (especially for a dialect of a language invented in the 50s).

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    1. Re:Traditional by Per+Bothner · · Score: 3, Insightful

      "Something that I find strange is how fast kawa seems to be [even] in the repl." Note that Kawa does a full compilation (to bytecode), with all the optimizations, even in the repl. (Of course it only optimized one line/command at a time in that case.) The downside is that Kawa is a little fragile if you redefine things in the repl; hence I advise using the --no-inline option for the repl. It's on the list of things to work on when we get a chance.

  2. Obi-Wan told Luke... by gavron · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It's like Old Ben Kenobi told young Luke Skywalker:

    "If you're trying to run it on a JVM you've already lost to the darkside."

    Star Wars Quotes (that never happened)

    E