Re: Case for a new runtime (Was: Re: Obj C and standards)

[Alain Toussaint]

may i chip in ??

> * The ability to share your compiled code with others not using your
> language.

i have a question here,would it be possible to overide[1] a method in 
one language with code from another ??

[1] = pardon the wording but i'm not sure i use the exact term,that 
could be "inherit"

here's a possible case for that:

suppose such a framework is used in army (that's where i'll be heading 
in a few years,the Canadian army to be exact) and there's a bug in one 
of the libraries (coded in ObjC for example),i'm much more of a python 
coder than an ObjC one,could i be able to provide a replacement Jython 
(Java based python) method without causing a recompile of the entire 
framework or part of it (just drop the jython method in-place and let 
it rip) ??

if such thing was possible,that would be a real boon where you (or me) 
have to deploy a system ASAP (that can happen in the army)....

> A lot of work for a lot of gain, but what's going to happen if
> something like this doesn't materialize?

i hate to say this but people who need something like that will flog to 
MS .NET (for the record,it's been about 5 years i run Linux fulltime 
and this is the first time i really think MS have a good idea).

> I think the framework I've laid out is feasible. Am I the only one
> who thinks this is a great (yet unoriginal) idea?

no you're not along,I,Jon Udell (you surely heard of him right ??) and 
Microsoft think it's a VERY good idea !!

Alain Toussaint

p.s. do you mind if i forward your mail to Jon Udell and the Byte 
newsgroup ??