Re: Definition of outdated...


"Kim Madsen" <kbm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:47d71f3f@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Warning... the following may contain provocative statements and irony.

There are often a reference to a programming language to be 'outdated', and
often that happens in comparison to another language that someone wants to
promote.

Say.. Delphi... many places management and project managers refer to it as
outdated.

But what exactly means 'outdated'? Why is something 'outdated'?

Looking strictly at the wording, then Java is more outdated than Delphi, as
Java was invented in 1991 based on a C syntax, and Delphi in 1995 based on a
Pascal syntax.

And buzzwords like Garbage Collection was invented all the way back in 1959
when Lisp was invented. Heck even Basic had GC built in.. so that surely
_must_ be an outdated feature! ;)

Then there is C, which C# and Java and C++ et all builds parts of their
syntax on... that was invented back in 1972... must seriously be outdated...
why on earth are anyone still using C/C++ to make operating systems, real
time systems and other applications that are critical and where leaks and
severe bugs are no no's as they have a huge impact on the use of the
product?.. yes.. why on earth is that.... reflection... ah.. reflection..
what about the term 'reflection'....

Reflection is in its core the same as RTTI in Delphi (RunTime Type
Information), but given a new shiny brand.
It was already available in Smalltalk invented back in 1970/71.. so surely
that feature must be perfect examplified object of being totally outdated.

Hmm.. object... object... object oriented... that word combination rings
a bell somewhere... now... we all know that C# and Java are masters of OO...
anyway so are the claims... but did they invent OO?... nah... we all know
that Bjarne Stoustrup invented C++ and the object oriented scheme dont we?..
Nope.. not even close. It goes all the way back to 1960s, and the language
Simula that was invented by a couple of Norweigians.
So OO is really pretty old stuff.. it cant be useful today that old stuff
can it? It must virtually be outdated!

That rings another bell... virtual... virtual.. something that isnt there
for real!... weird word... ... virtual machine.. thats really a buzzword in
this decade... What is actually referred to are process virtual machines.
Things that enables on the fly interpretation of semi compiled source code
(also called Pseudo code or P-code). Interpreter... that goes all the way
back to 1930 (and perhaps even longer) by a numerical interpreter by IBM...
THATS old.. so we wont even spend a startrek second more on that.. that is
definitely outdated. However there is another variant of process virtual
machines, that use a technique called Just In Time compiling (JIT).. ie. the
source or semicompiled source (P-code) is compiled to machine instructions
shortly before the time the instructions are needed while executing the
application.

THAT sounds cool... it MUST be a novel and very modern thing since it even
got a modern name for it... Managed Code, right? Nah.. VisualWorx (which is
a SmallTalk implementation) did that almost 30 years ago... in the 1980s.
Thats old! Thats outdated!

Well.. you get the picture I hope...

What imo should be outdated is how money controls hype that controls
management that controls pure logic and common sense.

Lets take a step back and discuss what exactly what is the reason for new
commercially popular languages today?

My take is that its not technical, practical or even (for the single user)
economical reasons that is the reason for them.
Its a global battle about marketshares and control. In other words...
something happening in the very high altitudes where the air is so thin that
people living in such places will get problems thinking rationally.

Great post, Kim! Let's add generics to the list, which is 25+ years old (Ada).
But, you know what pisses me off the most? The wheel! I mean COME ON,
it's ANCIENT technology, get rid of it already! Oh, and don't get me started
on the Sun as an energy resource. It's billions of years old!

Look what you've done, now I have to go and take a walk to calm down... :)

.

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