Will Groovy++ spell the end of Scala?
As much as we all "try to be friends", the successor to Java (and there clearly needs to be one) "battle" continues
Groovy++ adds to Groovy static typing with very little in terms of trade off (meta programming)
- Allowing mixing of static and dynamic code in the same application.
- Same speed as Java – sometimes faster, sometimes slower depending on how the problem is expressed.
- Groovy++ is really Java ++ and is thus a natural and easy path for the millions of Java programmers.
- Groovy not being controlled by the boffins at Snoracle hopefully means innovation in the platform can happen much faster and address real developer needs.
Others in the community counter that Scala is ~50 times faster than Groovy++.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Groovy++ being 50% slower than Scala is pure false. Groovy++ is in par with both Java and Scala – please check here http://stronglytypedblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/groovy-performance-now-were-talkin.html
I wonder if the wider acceptance of new languages is more than just the language design. For instance, people have concerns about the viability of looser typing in production environments. The fear being runtime faults not picked up in test. If I could have an overlay in cruicible whilst performing a review, that showed me visibly the code lines that might be of concern, it would help me spot something I don’t want with loose typing.
Another example, is peoples acceptance of AspectJ. Its often criticized for adding to the trace logs. I know places that will not use it in production code for that reason alone. If it could be configured such that the AspectJ left a single trace line, and dumped the rest somewhere else…yea I know improbable. Once again in tools like Cruicible if I could overlay the points which are aspected with the code, it would make it easier to see what will happen in the runtime system.
More system in the continuous integration like findbugs that report potential problems would also be handy. I.e perhaps you decide that loose typing should not be used in a certain area. A build tool that blocks it would make the senior staff happier that something will not creep in.
Anyhow…just a thought.