Synopsis:
This document was originally prepared for submission to the Journal of
Pascal, Ada, and Modula-2, which ceased publication before it could be
considered as objected-oriented programming (OOP) using C++ began its
ascendancy. OOP has since evolved with the introduction of the Java
programming language in 1995 and its subsequent refinement.
Though incorporating some important language features of Pascal such as
strong type checking, Java's syntax closely resembles that of the more
arcane C language, reliance on which, I argue here, may have contributed the
ultimate failure of the Commodore Amiga microcomputer and the NeXT
workstation in the marketplace by limiting the developer base.
Like the Macintosh Toolbox discussed in this eBook, the Java language
includes a voluminous and ever-expanding set of standard libraries employing
generally descriptive naming conventions, as opposed to the terse, arcane
names traditionally favored by C programmers. It is also notable that C++,
an object-oriented version of the C language, lacks a standard set of code
libraries. A new and untested entry in the programming language field is C#
(C-Sharp), which can be described as a Java-like OOP language that preserves
some features of C and improves on others.
Astute readers will note that the early success of the Macintosh was
followed by a decline, and that versions of Microsoft's Windows operating
system, which is written in C and C++, have ultimately been highly
successful in the marketplace after a rocky start. Although the reasons for
this are a subject for debate, a factor in the Macintosh's decline may well
have been Apple Computer's abandoning of Pascal for C in the early 1990's
coinciding with the introduction of a new model line (the PowerPC), again
limiting the developer base.
Note: In a few cases footnotes have been added to update the
material presented.
Printable version of
literature cited
