On Mon, 2004-06-28 at 16:31, s swami wrote: 
On Monday 28 June 2004 14:25, Oliver Jones wrote:

> The language doesn't have to be interpreted.  Java is a compiled
> language.  It's just not compiled to the native machine code.

Most JVMs compile to native code, either JIT or ahead-of-time.
Yes I know that the JVM does a certain amount of byte code to native code translation.  But this is implementation specific and not guaranteed.  It's called a virtual machine for a reason.

Apart from some kind of mindshare thing, I don't get why "open 
sourced" Java is needed.

The main reason is so that Java's fortunes are not tied to Suns fortunes.  Which frankly are looking a little bleak.  Imagine what the Internet would be like now had Netscape not be open sourced.  Yes I know Firefox and Mozilla aren't exactly loosening MS's vice like grip on most browser users just at the moment but they are keeping the web-standards flame alive.  If Firefox didn't exist and wasn't such a great browser MS probably wouldn't be re-investing into IE quite to the degree they are at the moment.

Given the amount of effort of expended in writing Java code recently I'd rather not have the language disappear from the face of the planet because the company that owns it goes under.  I hope it never comes to that and I would expect IBM to buy Sun if it was going under.  IBM has a lot more too loose if Java disappears than I do.  All of this would be a moot point if Sun was to just Open Source it.  This whole "were afraid it would fork" bullshit just doesn't wash with me.  C & C++ are open standards, Perl is open source, Python is open source, Ruby is open source.  None of these languages have forked.  Sun is just afraid that if it gives up Java to the community its giving up the only thing that is keeping the company afloat.

Fortunately I think Sun is slowly coming to the realisation internally that to open source Java isn't such a bad idea after all.  IBM would do it in an instant and they have an excellent implementation to do it with.  But I think they are constrained by contracts or other such things with Sun from doing so.  Which reminds me.  Java has already forked even without being open sourced.  IBM's implementation vs Sun's.  Which puts further weight behind my argument that their "forking" argument is bullshit.

Regards 




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