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Gosh, there's a lot of philosophy in this discussion, but I don't there's any mystery why there are so few users. Besides all the external factors (inertia, legacy code, portability, critical mass, etc.), there are some real problems in using any Oberon language. In spite of their strengths, the implementations have some crucial weaknesses. I don't have to dig too far to list some standard ones for BlackBox:
> "Programs" running under the BB environment serve only a very small fraction of potential end users. Yet the BB linker and packer are seriously unfinished. It should be possible to create a freestanding executable with one or two keystrokes, and the linker should not link unusued code. In practice, it is exceedingly difficult to create an .exe file, and that .exe file will likely consist mostly of unused code.
> BB lacks standard I/O libraries, as do many Wirth languages. There are the Oakwood standards, but BB ignores them. They are only very partially implemented in BB, by a third party. Portability is undeniably needed, yet BB cannot even read or write an integer with portable code (or at the very least, it's problematic).
> BB is very good for GUI programs in the BB environment, but not as good for non-BB or non-GUI applications. We are told that sequential output is old-fashioned, and its use is discouraged in programs. If it is really obsolete, why is the Log file so prominently displayed in BB? If it isn't obsolete, why is sequential output discouraged in a freestanding program? And how do you do sequential _input_?
> What is a potential user to do? Should one invest heavily and develop libraries and skills just for BB GUI programs, and then duplicate libraries and skills with other languages for other computing needs? It appears that some BB users do exactly that, but most people cannot afford that luxury. Quite honestly, BB still seems a bit unfinished for general use.
Rex Couture
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Received on Tue May 23 2006 - 21:19:47 UTC