Re: Re: [scala] Scalandroid

My thinking started along similar thoughts, about alternative JVMs. Does the
advent of Android signal a crack in the hegemony of the JVM? In a few years
we could end up with more Java code running on Android than on Sun's JVM.

Is this an opportunity for an Open Source VM, which is functional/dynamic
friendly, and which can run old Java bytecodes translates or Scala, JRuby
etc native?

A bit off topic, but hey, it's the lounge.

Dave Webb

----- Original Message -----
From: "Imam Tashdid ul Alam" <uchchwhash@...>
To: <scala-lounge@...>

Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2007 10:43 PM
Subject: Re: [scala-lounge] Re: [scala] Scalandroid

> everyone is talking about Android. the thing is, if
> Android maintains all the specifications, nothing
> should go wrong theoretically.
>
> but, it looks like it is a different virtual machine
> altogether. with a promise that it will not let Java
> classes feel the difference.
>
> on a relevant note, my question is this: suppose we
> make a virtual machine (like Android). also, let's
> suppose we interpret Java class files. if Android can
> do that, I think IP isn't really the problem here. I'm
> not so keen on legal issues anyway.
>
> but the question is: what would be the key
> modification/enhancement that would favor Scala-style
> programming?
>
> my first impression was that it would take functions a
> little more seriously. but I think it is somewhat
> misleading. functions seem to be doing fine being
> objects. is there any possibility of significant
> performance enhancement if functions are represented
> differently in a bytecode convention?
>
> I suspect the more effective way would be to take
> generics seriously. somewhat along the lines of the
> .NET machine. if theoretically it can be guaranteed
> that some casts never fail (which, should be the case)
> then a VM can take advantage of that. Scala's very
> advanced type system, I think, does not get the
> performance tuning it deserves. it's somewhat like
> compiling a typed-lambda-calculus language to an
> untyped one.
>
> this is not a suggestion email, by the way. I just
> want to know what's the case. I think a language like
> Haskell gets most of its performance boost from
> term-rewriting, which is almost impossible, or, I
> think, unwise, to do in Scala. helpful people
> enlighten me.
>
> cheers,
> Imam
>
>
>
>
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