Re: repost of D4 message

[Marcus G. Daniels]

>>>>> "D4" == Marcus G Daniels <address@hidden> writes:

MD> C++ is a complex language and not suitable for most experimental
MD> kinds of agent-based modeling.

D4> I don't understand this comment.  Talking to simulation people
D4> both at UCSB and in bussiness (Rand Corp. and TRW), the feeling is
D4> that it is the best general language out for simulation.  The
D4> feeling is that Java, being partially interpreted, will always be
D4> a step slower and that makes it uNsuitable for hard core sims.
D4> (Note that we are talking 10,000+ agent as opposed to 50 agent
D4> sorts of models.)  I'm not trying to push C++, I just don't
D4> understand why you think it is uNsuitable.

In the hands of someone that invests enough time to understand the
full power of C++, it IS more powerful than Java.  For starters it has
templates and multiple inheritance. 

I am almost sure, though, that if new Swarm users find Objective C or
Java an obstacle to getting in to agent-based modeling, that they will
RUN SCREAMING when they see C++.  I do NOT want to be the person
that picks up the pieces (and takes the blame) for THAT.  ;-)

As for the matter of the getting rid of the silly VM in Java, the GNU
Java compiler (gcj) will do it, and generates code that is ABI
compatible with C++.  Performance is similiar to C++. 

   http://gcc.gnu.org/java

After a bit of work, the JNI implementation of gcj is working with Swarm,
the result being native code executables.  Very slick.  The Redhat Java
team _kicks_.



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