Java as an API (Re: Article on state of graphics drivers on BSDs)

[Julian Coleman <jdc%coris.org.uk@localhost>]

Hi,

> My logic is that the Java platform is not restricted by OS differences,

I think that this is both a strength and a weakness.  As you mention, if
you code in java, then the code runs on any JVM (modulo bugs).  There might
be problems related to speed or missing API's, but the major problem for
this case is the way in which a java program and the JVM execute code.  It
is something like this (simplified):

       java byte code (application program)
                   running on
              java virtual machine
                   ported to
        operating system/hardware platform

So, even if all the graphics code was written in java to a common API, we
would still need to port a JVM to all the operating systems and hardware
combinations that we want to support.  This is probably a larger job than
porting the current graphics API's.

Thanks,

J

-- 
   NetBSD: simple; works; documented    /        Sailing at Newbiggin
        http://www.netbsd.org/        /   http://www.newbigginsailingclub.org/