Oh, to make a useless post to this thread as well :D
I wished there was a C++ -> Java Byte Code compiler with minimal
extensions:
a) operator [] overloaded by standard (as long as the user does not
provide its own overloading)
b) adapted destructor synthesizing
Basically: C++ with all the nice features Java gives: Reflection ->
Introspection -> Serialization -> RMI, and a superb standard library,
that would be my language.
I use Java because I value currently the idea of byte code and the
chain of implications above more than templates and expressiveness.
However anyone arguing against C++ in my eyes only did not make enough
positive experience with it :D (yeah, when C++ was all ready main
stream it was *not* mature, at least not the compilers and tools
available).
IMHO SUNs decision to go for generics and not for templates was the
easy way in terms of upgrading the libraries ... however I long feared
that they might be the death to the language. Meanwhile I think the
user base is to strong and people will tend to rather avoid using them
instead of dropping java altogether.
Two big things make Java as a research and development language less
interesting: no multiple inheritance (see Eiffel, C++ etc.) and no
templates see (Eiffel, C++).
The current feeling that ClassCastExceptions won't be such a trouble
any longer is simply wrong. I use generics since about 2 years ... with
generics you have *FAR* more ClassCastExceptions than before.
Because of the type erasures your code (IDE/compiler/RMI application
loading code via the network) is very often in the situation that a
List<String> is somehow becoming a List and finally a List<Integer> and
when you send this back as serialized object via the network your
perfect generized code breaks with ClassCastExceptions.
That happened at least 100 times in my work over the last two years. If
Java 5.0 had not annotations and enums I would bet my few Apple shares
(and my few SUN shares as well) that the mainstream developers (inhouse
in companies making their own software for own use) would stick to Java
1.4 as long as bearable.
Regards,
Angelo
P.S. I want templates, and template meta programming and probably
frames as well not generics :-/
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