More Info On Google's Alternative To JavaScript

I'm Not There (1956) writes "Last week the news came in that Google is supposed to unveil 'Dart,' a new programming language for browser-based apps. Now an internal email from late last year describes this project as the 'high risk/high reward' path [of Google's browser development strategy]. Apps in this new language will run in a VM on browsers that support it, and can be translated to JS for other browsers. 'Performance, developer usability, and ability to be tooled' are the main characteristics of the language." The email notes that Google will be working on ECMAScript Harmony in the near term, but they describe the project as ultimately doomed by "fundamental problems" with ECMAScript. It's interesting that Google took part in abandoning ECMAScript 4, which would have been almost fully backward compatible with current implementations while solving most of the "fundamental problems" Google claims require a brand new language to fix.

Interesting

[Anonymous Coward]

It's interesting that Google took part in abandoning ECMAScript 4, which would have been almost fully backward compatible with current implementations while solving most of the "fundamental problems" Google claims require a brand new language to fix.

Yes, it is interesting to hear some random person say that Google doesn't know what they are doing. Wait a minute, it isn't interesting at all.

-yawn-

[Aladrin]

Until I actually get my hands on the language, no amount of hype is going to do anything for me.

Besides which, CoffeeScript has got to be stealing their thunder. I have to wonder if they aren't regretting developing Dart yet.

Editorial Piece Angries Up My Blood

[eldavojohn]

It's interesting that Google took part in abandoning ECMAScript 4, which would have been almost fully backward compatible with current implementations while solving most of the "fundamental problems" Google claims require a brand new language to fix.

Yeah? How many free license programming languages have you released and continued to support?

As a developer, I love to learn a new language. I write a few simple programs in the new language. I explore what advantages and disadvantages that language has and then I put it in my toolbox. If a problem comes along that I must fix, I select the best tool for the job from said toolbox. I don't know how any sane developer could get by any other way -- there is no silver bullet programming language.

The more tools I have at my disposal, the more effective I am. So shut your hole. I don't want people to stop exploring new languages just because it hurts your feelings that the market might fracture and you might have to -- *gasp* -- learn something new!

Re:It isn't really interesting

[bluefoxlucid]

Let's skip the ass dance and hear what these fundamental problems are, and how to solve them.

Re:What exactly is wrong with javascript?

[NoNonAlphaCharsHere]

Javascript is a language that combines the type-safety of Perl with the object paradigm of pre-ANSI, pre-STL C++, the power and expressiveness of Visual Basic, the ambiguity of HTML, and the readability and maintainability of C.