Mainsoft unites .Net and Java programming

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Nice idea, but it needs marketing

Back when Java first became the buzzword of the day, I decided to learn it. The teacher asked the class what the most widely used programming language was, and most people were surprised to learn that it was REXX.

At the time, I knew REXX very well, although I don't think anybody else in the class was familiar with it. The advantage of REXX was that it was built in a totally opposite way from languages such as C. Rather than design a language to make it easier to write a compiler, it was written to make it easier for people to use. It was designed to let the machine rather than the programmer do the work, and to let people write code in a way that avoided the common errors that resulted with a language such as C.

At the time, the latest version of REXX (NetRexx) already "compiled" into Java bytecode. So writing a Rexx program essentially did what this article is discussing. When I researched it, I found that dozens of other languages did the same thing.

Rexx was an easy language to learn. It was powerful enough to write complex systems over networks with worldwide deployment. It was so simple to learn that there was no real need for aftermarket books. And it grew not based on a marketing effort, buy by word of mouth. It was not a big revenue generator for companies such as IBM, since it was included for free in operating systems ranging from VM to PC/DOS.

So why don't I use it? Marketing. As time went on, it became more practical to use other languages because of where the market was going and how tools were promoted. If Java had been the answer we all expected, we would not be reading about a shortage of Java programmers at a time when Silicon Valley is still in a deep recession. Java is a great tool. It answered many of the needs that the industry overlooked, including portability done the right way. (C pretended to be portable but sold us a paradigm change in coding style rather than true portability.)

So something like this could work, but it would be a matter of doing the right marketing. It's not likely that some programmer is going to be able to go to his CTO and propose changing languages because of some article from a magazine. Unless those in charge read that this is the hottest thing and everybody is moving to it, they will stay away from it. Coming up with a language that's easier to program in, produces the same code, and is compatible with all Java libraries out there has already been done. Getting people to use it is another thing.

Posted by: wresnick   Posted on: 06/04/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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