[BLACKBOX] BB, Linux, and Java

From: Douglas G. Danforth <"Douglas>
Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 21:30:32 -0700

----boundary-LibPST-iamunique-586869192_-_-
Content-type: text/plain

BB, Linux, and Java

Folks,

Why not use the Java Virtual Machine on which to run BlackBox?
If that could be done then BB would become multi platform and
Linux would be automatically included.

With a little poking I found tha java.AWT is the Abstract Windowing
Toolkit from which GUI's can be formed.

o The Component Pascal compiler would need to generate java bytecodes.
I believe Esmertec has done this already.

o Host files would need to be written only once and call the equivalent
java libraries.

o The 'look and feel' of BlackBox would become whatever the AWT software
generated on each platform. This may be a big issue for Oberon
Microsystems since (I believe) the essence of their design goal was to
make BB look like the native software on each platform. I do not know
whether Java adapts (adopts) the look and feel of the underlying
operating system.

o Speed may be the main issue, but it is claimed that the just in time
compilers are approximately as fast as native compiles (for C++).

o Module linking and loading would need to run on the virtual machine.

In my ignorance it seems like this is the (conceptual) way to go.

Alternatively one could give up the 'look and feel' issue and return to
the original Oberon design of a single appearance for all platforms.
This would make porting to various platforms much simpler as was
demonstrated by the rapid spread of Oberon IV. I would suggest that the
Windows look and feel be adopted as the standard. But then Mac and
Linux people probably would disagree.

I am throwing this out simply to get some feedback.

-Doug Danforth


----
To unsubscribe, send a message with body "SIGNOFF BLACKBOX" to LISTSERV{([at]})nowhere.xy----boundary-LibPST-iamunique-586869192_-_-
Content-type: application/rtf
Content-transfer-encoding: base64
Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="rtf-body.rtf"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----boundary-LibPST-iamunique-586869192_-_---
Received on Sat May 24 2008 - 06:30:32 UTC

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.0 : Thu Sep 26 2013 - 06:30:56 UTC