Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

JavaScript is the future...maybe

blog.jonathanchannon.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–46 of 46 posts

Re: JavaScript is the future...maybe

#41

Post by jbigelow76 »

glenjamin wrote: post #27
PommeDeTerre wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No language/technology/thing is better than another. It may be better than another in a particular context. I don't really buy into this reasoning. If a given language is worse than every other in almost every context (the "global" context, if you will), then it's clearly an inferior language relative to the others. JavaScript does exhibit this. It has exactly one thing going for it: it's the only scripting language…

JavaScript is the only mainstream programming language that has multiple competing production-quality implementations. I think this rarity helps to ensure that work is done to improve the runtime, from both an ease-of-development and a performance perspective, while also keeping the set of what works pretty stable.

I'd say Mono/Xamarin and .NET/Microsoft would qualify as competing production quality implementations of C#. Xamarin may have positioned their implementation of C# to target the mobile space instead of the enterprise space because they see that as a losing battle against Microsoft (and the niche they do address is very lucrative right now) but the could still qualify as competitors.

Re: JavaScript is the future...maybe

#43

Post by pjmlp »

MatthewPhillips wrote: post #37
pjmlp wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I share the same opinion. I cannot understand why some developers fail to understand that we need different tools optimized for different types of tasks. It is like they are afraid of learning.

Because most languages are not optimized for a type of task, most languages are not DSLs. Most languages are "general purpose". I don't understand why so many people continually make this same comment.

Well you could try to write Rails in C, Crysis in JavaScript or device drivers in TCL, after all they are all turing complete.

Hence the need to know several languages and use the right one for the task at hand.

Re: JavaScript is the future...maybe

#44

Post by PommeDeTerre »

MJR wrote: post #14
PommeDeTerre wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No language/technology/thing is better than another. It may be better than another in a particular context. I don't really buy into this reasoning. If a given language is worse than every other in almost every context (the "global" context, if you will), then it's clearly an inferior language relative to the others. JavaScript does exhibit this. It has exactly one thing going for it: it's the only scripting language…

It's missing critical features that are essential for anything but the smallest-scale development. What in your opinion is smallest-scale development? Millions of users using your application each year? Do we need web apps to support billions of users each year now? JavaScript is the most superior scripting language widely available in web browsers. Until there is an alternative it cannot be an inferior language beca…

I was talking about code base and application size, not so much the number of users.

Using JavaScript for a large application is not a pleasant experience. I know there are a lot of JavaScript developers out there who have never used anything but JavaScript, and maybe PHP, so they don't know what they're missing. But those of us who have used even just C++, Java, C#, or Delphi will know how critical things like static typing, namespaces, proper modularity and class-based OO, for example, are.

Re: JavaScript is the future...maybe

#45

Post by PommeDeTerre »

glenjamin wrote: post #27
PommeDeTerre wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No language/technology/thing is better than another. It may be better than another in a particular context. I don't really buy into this reasoning. If a given language is worse than every other in almost every context (the "global" context, if you will), then it's clearly an inferior language relative to the others. JavaScript does exhibit this. It has exactly one thing going for it: it's the only scripting language…

JavaScript is the only mainstream programming language that has multiple competing production-quality implementations. I think this rarity helps to ensure that work is done to improve the runtime, from both an ease-of-development and a performance perspective, while also keeping the set of what works pretty stable.

That's nonsense.

There are numerous competing, production-quality, independently-developed C compilers, runtimes and standard libraries.

There are numerous competing, production-quality, independently-developed C++ compilers, runtimes and standard libraries.

There are several competing, production-quality, independently-developed Ada compiler systems.

There are numerous competing, production-quality, independently-developed Fortran compiler systems.

JavaScript is hardly alone in that respect.

Re: JavaScript is the future...maybe

#46

Post by glenjamin »

PommeDeTerre wrote: post #45
glenjamin wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

JavaScript is the only mainstream programming language that has multiple competing production-quality implementations. I think this rarity helps to ensure that work is done to improve the runtime, from both an ease-of-development and a performance perspective, while also keeping the set of what works pretty stable.

That's nonsense. There are numerous competing, production-quality, independently-developed C compilers, runtimes and standard libraries. There are numerous competing, production-quality, independently-developed C++ compilers, runtimes and standard libraries. There are several competing, production-quality, independently-developed Ada compiler systems. There are numerous competing, production-quality, independently-de…

Ah, I think when I usually make that claim I include the qualifier "high-level".

Obviously, without that qualifier the statement is false.

Post reply on HN