[geeks] Misuse of Java

[Greg A. Woods]

[ On Wednesday, November 6, 2002 at 08:51:42 (-0600), Jonathan C Patschke wrote: ]
> Subject: Re: [geeks] Misuse of Java
>
> On Wednesday, November 6, 2002, at 08:40 AM, Joshua D Boyd wrote:
> 
> > I suspect that it is bad programming on the part of the java
> > programmers, since I've seen fast, responsive java programs on machines
> > much slower than a U1.
> 
> That's my feeling, as well.  Java code doesn't -have- to be slow.  It's 
> inherently slower then the equivalent binary object code

>From the studies I've read (possibly biased studies -- I wouldn't know
how to tell the difference :-), Java code is inherently slower than
pretty much every other interpreted or byte-compiled (or object-
compiled, though I haven't a clue what the latter could really mean)
code.

> but there's a 
> lot to be said for optimizing your application, whether it's 
> interpreted, byte-compiled, or object-compiled.

Yup, but don't forget:

    Premature optimization is the root of all evil in programming.
        -- C.A.R. Hoare

As far as I've ever been able to tell Java has no valid technical reason
for being -- never really did, and probably never will.


More notable quotes:

Java, the best argument for Smalltalk since C++.
	--unknown

Claiming Java is easier than C++ is like saying that K2 is shorter
than Everest.
	--Larry O'Brien (editor, Software Development)

Java is the most distressing thing to hit computing since MS-DOS.
	-- Alan Kay

Java programming is like teenage sex ....
        - Everyone talks about it all of the time (but they don't really
          know what they are talking about);
        - Everyone claims to be doing it;
        - Everyone thinks everyone else is doing it;
        - Those few who are actually doing it:
                - Are not practicing it safely;
                - Are doing it poorly, and
                - Are sure it will be better next time.
	-- From a post on comp.lang.smalltalk

It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion.
It is by the beans of Java the thoughts acquire speed,
the hands acquire shaking, the shaking becomes a warning.
It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion.
	-- ` la "Dune"; Kerry Lutz


(I've used the last one since long before Java the language came along,
but it's just as fun in this context! ;-)

-- 
								Greg A. Woods

+1 416 218-0098;            <g.a.woods at ieee.org>;           <woods at robohack.ca>
Planix, Inc. <woods at planix.com>; VE3TCP; Secrets of the Weird <woods at weird.com>