JVM back end

[pchapin]

I understand there is a JVM back end on the road map for Cobra. I also understand from what I've read in the forums that progress on it has been slow and that the objective-C back end is likely to be finished first.

Let me say that I totally understand about limited resources and the need to set priorities. I greatly appreciate all the work Chuck and others have done in developing Cobra. So this is not intended to be a criticism at all... I just wanted to voice my +1 vote for JVM support. Although I have an interest in .NET, I use the JVM in my "real job" and I would love to have Cobra there. Right now I mostly use Scala/Java/Groovy (in approximately that order).

I realize that in the open source world I should put my money (meaning time) where my mouth is and step up to contribute to the JVM port. I'd love to be able to do that. Unfortunately, like all of us, I have my own resource limitations and priorities. I don't think I'll be able to do that in the near future.

Anyway I just wanted people to know that there is interest in the JVM back end... even if the will is lacking.

[Charles]

I always appreciated feedback and I understand that people have thoughts about where open source projects should be going even if they don't always have the time to pitch in. Your message is noted.

[Csaba]

Hi all,

@pchapin
Off topic, but I would like to here your opinion of Cobra vs Scala. (I know “nothing” about Scala except it is highly praised.)

[pchapin]

I don't want to create too much of a distraction here but... I will say that I enjoy Scala quite a bit. It has a Java-like syntax but is much more expressive and concise than Java. I appreciate its functional features and how it allows you to, in effect, create your own syntax.

I haven't done anything particularly significant with Cobra (yet) aside from a few toy scripts. Off hand I'd say that Scala has more ceremony than Cobra yet between type inference and various other shortcuts is still much more concise than other static languages with a similar "world view." Scala does have a very complicated type system. You might or might not think this is a good thing!

In any case Scala is definitely worth learning. I find it a lot more fun than Java, anyway.