Thursday, October 26, 2006

Language growth

To alter a quote from Annie Hall, programming languages are like sharks. They have to keep moving or they will die. Languages frequently don't succeed at this. Thus a fine language like Common Lisp failed to include threads and networking in its spec, and by the time standards emerge, it is too late; the needs of users have long since passed by.

Java has done a good job of this. They have managed to keep incorporating the needs of users, while trying to stay true to the spirit of the language, and they have not proceeded so fast that they introduce unncessary complications. Some of their additions to the language spec have made things more complicated and confusing, but you always get something out of it.

I'm interested in exploring this topic further in the next few posts. I'd like to explore a few examples of Java language additions, and then examine some potential upcoming changes. What are your opinions about changes in the Java language in recent years?

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Introduction

Not only is this yet another blog, this is yet another in a series of blogs by me. I'm a believer in blogs that suit a specific topic, and therefore this is my blog for technical topics. For a developer, having a technical blog is a way to both refine one's thoughts on particular topics, practice technical writing, and of course advertise oneself as being a knowledgeable dude.

Every blog should know who its audience is. This blog's audience is other developers, mostly those who are searching for topics. Although it would be nice to have people subscribing to my atom feed, I do not expect it.

I program primarily in Java, with some Python, and some dabbling in lisp. Expect posts relevant to those topics, as well as posts about development in general, productivity, IDEs, and similar issues. Do not expect a flurry of posts. I expect to be posting at least once every two weeks, but more if I happen to have a lot to say, or less if I am unusually busy.

Oh, and I actually hope that this will be a good blog, and will actually contribute some knowledge or something of value to the world.