Java compatibility? (was Re: Not a bash, just the facts)

[Alan McKinnon]

On Sunday 26 March 2006 03:29, Michael T. Richter wrote:
> On Sun, 2006-26-03 at 02:59 +0200, Alan McKinnon wrote:
> > Java is backwards-compatible.
> >
> >
> >
> > One exception: deprecated features.
>
> This translates to "Java is backwards-compatible, except where it
> isn't", Alan.  That's not resoundingly persuasive.  ;)

hehe.

It's a concession to real life: Oops, we thought feature X is a good 
idea and it isn't. Please use feature Y instead, meanwhile we'll 
throw compiler errors at you for three versions if you use X.

As an aside: The solid engineering that went into Java is truly 
impressive. Gosling did something that very few language designers 
manage: research a realistic scope, define it well, stick to it, to 
hell with the marketing boys and their incessant feature-creep 
requests. Even the deprecation mechanism is an excellent example of 
how to phase out obsolete cruft that creeps into even the best 
designs.

-- 
Alan McKinnon
alan at linuxholdings dot co dot za
+27 82, double three seven, one nine three five