OpenEuphoria

Re: Challenge for speed freaks

• Posted by rforno at tutopia.com Feb 16, 2002
• 506 views

Just my two cents...
I studied Java and two years I taught a Java course. But I cant call me a
proficient Java programmer. Moreover, I hate Java.
A year ago I started using Euphoria. I like using it. Two months from now I
expect to be teaching an Euphoria course at a local University.
Problem is, in how much time one can proficiently program in a language?
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ray Smith" <smithr at ix.net.au>
To: "EUforum" <EUforum at topica.com>
Subject: RE: Challenge for speed freaks


>
>
> Irv Mullins wrote:
>
> > Why, if Euphoria is so much faster, are there hundreds or thousands of
> > people
> > who use perl, python, or java, etc. for every person who uses Euphoria.
>
> Perl, Python and Java are free.
> This is a huge factor!!!!
> Everyone wants a free lunch. Even though the price of Euphoria
> is inexpensive it's the concept behind it.
>
> Perl I have heard is very fast at text processing.
> I'm sure there would be a large number of programs (text manipulation)
> that would run faster in Perl. I haven't seen any action games in
> Perl ... but that isn't the aim of the language.
>
> Python and Java have been built from the ground up as OOP languages.
> Perl has been adapted to support OOP.
> This is another huge factor.
> As much as everyone on this list keeps saying they can live without
> classes everyone else in the world says they can't.
> Classes are a very powerful tool and I'd be very surprised if you
> could name one "newly" developed NON OOP language that has been
> successful in the last 10 years.
> Do you think a couple of dozen people on a mailing list are going to
> change the rest of the worlds mind re OOP?
>
> The 3 languages you mention are highly portable.
> I know that Java and Python have threads support, exception handling,
> many many more libraries available ... most freely downloadable.
>
> > Why do the bookshelves contain dozens of books on perl, python, and
> > java,
> > etc. but none for Euphoria?
>
> A simple question of user base.
> It wasn't that long ago (2 years - probably 3!) that the first
> Python book was released.
>
>
> > Why do computer magazines run articles on these other languages, but
> > make no mention of Euphoria?
>
> user base again.
>
>
> > Could it be that *fast* just isn't the most important criteria for most
> > programmers?
>
> Three of the really big selling points for Euphoria are:
> "fast",
> "simple", and
> "small".
>
> With the processing power of pc's these days is speed a real issue?
> Except for specialized applications like action games, 3d modelling,
> simulations etc speed is almost a non issue.
> For these specialised cases you can still write sub routines in C.
> Just like we do for Euphoria.
>
> Simple is a great thing to have.  Simple doesn't have to mean you
> don't have threads, or classes, or exception handling.  It just means
> when you do have these things they are implemented in a consistant
> well structured way.
> If they "are" implemented and people don't want to use them ...
> then they don't!
>
> Small! - who copies files by floppy disk anymore?
> All these other languages have 10mb or more downloads,
> no one cares.  It takes maybe an hour on a standard modem to download
> them.
> How much effort do people put into developing applications?
> Is an extra hour to setup, and an extra 50MB of disk space going to
> stop anyone from using Euphoria?  I'd say no.
>
> > I don't buy the argument that marketing makes the difference, either -
> > a lot of money has been spent to promote Java, but the rest? Not that
> > I know of.
>
> How many of these popular languages are developed by one person?
> It's impossible, can't be done.
>
> I don't mean this is an offense way Rob (if your reading!),
> but what major software development project has become successful
> by the authors just "seeing" what happens and not having any long
> term plans or goals? That's Robs way, that's his choice and no one
> can judge him and say he's wrong.  What I can say is success won't
> come knocking on your door!
>
>
> For the PRO side:
>
> It's a bit harsh to look at some popular languages and say
> "why isn't Euphoria like language X!"
>
> Java is a product developed by hundreds of people.
> Python has commercial backing and has a number of full time staff
> developing as well as  a large band of eager users.
>
<snip>

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