Sun's Java implementation is closed-source, the specs are open. There exist other implementations of java including at least two open source versions that I know of.
Eight to ten years ago the industry was making many of the same noises about C++ as it is making about Java now (where are the apps, programs are too slow, too unreliable). Java is not a revolution in programming, it is an evolutionary step. It is still evolving and will continue to evolve. Those who dismiss it because it didn't 'take over the world' overnight are missing the point and ignoring the long-term effects Java will have on programming. doug
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Indeed. There is a difference between reverse-engineering an implementation and creating a conforming implementation from a published spec.
doug
Sun's Java implementation is closed-source, the specs are open. There exist other implementations of java including at least two open source versions that I know of.
Eight to ten years ago the industry was making many of the same noises about C++ as it is making about Java now (where are the apps, programs are too slow, too unreliable). Java is not a revolution in programming, it is an evolutionary step. It is still evolving and will continue to evolve. Those who dismiss it because it didn't 'take over the world' overnight are missing the point and ignoring the long-term effects Java will have on programming. doug