On Dec 26, 2006, at 3:18 , J J wrote:
Again, to contrast with Python, Squeak wants to run the show, but Python plays nice with all the other free tools of the GNU/Linux ecosystem.
I keep on seeing this, but it appears largely overstated. Java has it's own VM, threads etc. as well.
Yes, Java. I think Python is very different from Java in this context, as Java also wants to run the show, and I think this is where it is quite similar to Smalltalk. Python on the other hand is quite happy to play along with others, just like Ruby, Perl and, of course, C.
[more java comparison]
And if you mean more to address the tools, well yes you *can* edit Java code in vi if you really want to. But no one really wants to. And if your interface to the language is through some program anyway, then the "barrier" of the code not being on the file system disappears.
Once again, I think that Java is not a valid substitute for Python in this context. In my experience, hacking Python in or Java or Ruby in vi is not just doable but quite useful. I can't say the same for Java.
Marcel