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Sun releases scripting technology for Java

Jacl promises more power for Java

By Cameron Laird and Kathryn Soraiz, JavaWorld.com, 12/01/97

Page 2 of 2

The proof

Scripting allows programmatic control of the user interface. That's important because it allows the interface to be intelligent.

For instance, let's look at dragging-and-dropping visual components on a palette. As effective as it has been in the marketplace, this approach fundamentally limits developers to a static, "unresponsive" user interface. Or so believes Brian Kernighan, noted technical author of Bell Laboratories. The best user interfaces are those which adapt to the knowledge and actions of their users. Scripted interfaces can be "very dynamic, very user-oriented," said Kernighan at his July 1997 Tcl Workshop keynote in Boston.

Suppose you agree scripting Java objects is a uniquely effective way to work through important steps of a development process. The question remains: Why choose Tcl as your scripting language?

Answering that is SunScript's real purpose in this week's announcement. It's first argument for Tcl is that it's reliable. The several thousand commercial applications which depend on Tcl daily attest to its maturity. Second, it exploits the full potential of the scripting approach because of the ease with which it's possible to move pieces of functionality into Tcl -- and back out again.

The future

So, what does this mean for developers? You'll probably be scripting Java components some day. The only real question will be, with what language? VBScript and JavaScript are the obvious places to start -- they'll certainly dominate in their existing roles for a long time to come. Raymond Johnson acknowledges this, saying, "[The market position of] JavaScript is impenetrable."

The bet SunScript is making is on a kind of race. Can Jacl and Tcl Blend hold their technological lead long enough to elevate their profile to mainstream status? Or will they only be remembered as a clever tangent that lost in a race as the dominant existing scripting languages rushed to catch up? As 1997 closes, Jacl and Tcl Blend offer more complete "scriptability" for Java than any other competitor. The question is, do enough developers really want that power today? It's clear where Johnson's group is putting its money.

You can make a different, more careful bet -- one that works for you. Visit the SunScript site and decide which demonstration of Java scripting corresponds to a problem you currently face. Download the alpha software and launch a pilot project. In the worst case you like the results, but the market at large swings to a scripting language other than what you've chosen. That's a small risk. It just means you might need to rewrap your application some day. At best, you're one of the first to become an expert at "programming for the 21st Century." :END_BODY

About the author

Cameron Laird and Kathryn Soraiz manage their software consultancy, Network Engineered Solutions, from just outside Houston, TX.

 

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