Subj : Re: future?
To   : comp.programming
From : Phlip
Date : Wed Sep 07 2005 02:49 pm

johny_cage wrote:

> Myself I've done few things in c++, object pascal, nasm, and I think
> that I should learn more, because even if I would be great in this
> languages, there would be many persons on my place, who can do this at
> the same or above level.

Dynamic languages will take over most of the higher levels (GUI, database, 
glue). Python, Ruby, and Smalltalk show the way here.

Generated and statically-proven languages will take over the lower levels 
(drivers, compilers, engines). Ada's SPARKS system is the leader here.

Both will support testing better. For example, if this fails

    assert "foo" != bar(3)

the program will print out the file and line of that assert, the name of 
each argument to !=, the != itself, and the value of each argument; and will 
provide the option to invoke the debugger at that line.

You can't get that today - languages are not yet reflective enough - and you 
won't get it by creating a magic 'assert' keyword and adding those abilities 
to it, custom. You should get it by adding more abilities to the compiler, 
so other code can use those abilities too.

-- 
  Phlip
  http://www.greencheese.org/ZeekLand  <-- NOT a blog!!!

.