[TriLUG] C# and .NET

[Tanner Lovelace]

On Mon, 2002-07-01 at 14:01, Ed Hill wrote:
> What *exactly* are you doing that Java isn't fast enough for?
> 
> Sounds like you've never even tried Java and are just blowing smoke
> around.
> 
> There are very few things that Java (running on a modern processor)
> can't handle.  The few exceptions are serious number crunching (eg. 
> en-/de-coding audio/video, scientific software, some games, etc.).  And
> in some of those cases, you can call native (C++, Fortran) routines to
> do the heavy numerical lifting while having a nice, portable Java GUI on
> top.

Hi Ed,

While I do agree with you that Java is fast enough for most things
(your list actually left out one category: intensive graphics [not
games]), that isn't my biggest problem with Java.  My biggest 
problem with Java is that it limits you to only the object oriented
paradigm.  Granted, the object oriented paradigm is extremely 
powerful, but there are times when it is the wrong tool for the
job.  In those cases (which crop up far more often than you
would think), I prefer a language that allows me to use a 
different paradigm.  The reason I like C++ so much is that 
it, uniquely from any other language out there that I know
about, is a true multi-paradigm language.  You want to do
object oriented stuff, no problem.  You want generic 
programming?  Sure, we do that.  You want functional?
Yep, it'll do that too.  Procedural?  Besides OO, that's its
bread and butter.  Portability?  Yep.  Speed? Absolutely.
Show me one other language that does as much as C++ and maybe I'll
consider it.  The only one that probably comes close is Ada
and from everything I hear, C++ is much nicer to program in.

As far as C# is concerned (and this isn't to Ed, but rather
to the other people talking about it), puleeze!  The *only*
reason C# exists is because MS can control it.  If you don't
believe that, I feel sorry for how extremely naive you are.
History bears me out on this.  That is the real reason
why MS hates the GPL so much -- they can't control it.
If MS can't control something, they invent something they
can (take DirectX for example).  Personally, I got off
that wagon when I switched to Linux and I have no desire to
get back on it.

Tanner
-- 
Tanner Lovelace | lovelace at wayfarer.org | http://wtl.wayfarer.org/
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