I am not only saying that you can do what used to be called "systems programming" in what used to be called a "scripting language" -- although you sometimes can. Nor am I merely lauding Python as a spectacular implementation of a first-class scripting language -- although it is one. My point is that languages like Python, but also Perl, Ruby, and JavaScript/JScript/ActionScript/EcmaScript, are strategic in ways that we don't yet fully acknowledge. As I mentioned last time[3], the classic phased life cycle of software development -- design/develop/test/deploy -- is dissolving into a continuous process. Change is the only constant; the services we create and use are always exploratory. Languages that express programmers' intentions in fewer lines of code are a huge productivity win. The deliverable code is easier to understand and maintain -- and so, crucially, is the test infrastructure that supports it.
It was never a priority for Sun to make the JVM script-language friendly. Independent developers took that upon themselves, with the most notable success being the Java-Python hybrid now called Jython. For Microsoft, script-language support was a stated goal of the .Net Common Language Runtime (CLR). Early on, we heard a lot about CLR implementations of Python and Perl. When ActiveState [4] researched the problem, though, it proved harder than first anticipated. The elbow grease that made Jython work as well as it does has not yet been applied to Python.Net and Perl.Net. Nor has Microsoft evangelized the most dynamic member of its family of supported .Net Languages: JScript .Net.
I'm still hoping we'll promote scripting languages to the first-class status they deserve. Computers are getting faster and platforms are getting smarter, but the human brain is on a very different upgrade cycle. We need to keep finding ways to help programmers pack more software behavior into fewer lines of code. Shipping the prototype is not yet practical in many cases, but that's a great goal.
1. http://www.artima.com/intv/speed.html
2. http://www.zope.com/CaseStudies
3. http://www.infoworld.com/article/03/01/31/05stratdev_1.html
4. Full disclosure: I am a member of ActiveState's Technical Advisory Board
This whitepaper explains the terminology and concepts behind Data Replication technologies and establishes some sizing rules through worked examples. Learn the new paradigm in disaster tolerance—protect data anywhere.
Download now »
Server virtualization is a popular option for dealing with mounting datacenter costs. Another equally promising approach is the use of an Application Delivery Controller. Citrix NetScaler provides a low-cost way for organizations to reduce their server count and accrue cost savings from a reduction in space, cooling, power and personnel.
Download now »
The emergence of WLANs has created a new breed of security threats to enterprise networks.
Included in HP ProCurve WLAN solutions is security technology that alleviates threats from WLANs through:
* Monitoring wireless activity inside and out of the enterprise
* Classifying WLAN transmissions into harmful and harmless
* Preventing transmissions that pose a security threat to the enterprise network
* Locating participating devices for physical remediation
Effectively address data protection challenges, implementing solutions that help store and protect business–critical data while cutting costs and improving efficiency and reliability.
Download now »
Sign up to receive InfoWorld Resource Alerts
Recommend This
