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As a language Java is poor compared to most languages...

When it came out in 1995, as a then-C++ programmer, I can tell you that Java was an absolute dream to program in and a breath of fresh air.

Indeed, we would even put up with it being interpreted hoping for better days, which eventually came.

My pet peeve was trying to write portable C or C++ code, even across UNIX platforms, let alone when one would add Windows and or non-POSIX systems into the mix.

Yes. Some would say all languages, but there is Forth (which has its merits).

Java is essentially C++ as of 1991, with GC and interfaces tacked on, no user value types, and a whole series of misunderstandings of fundamentals. It represented a marvelous opportunity, squandered: abandoning C compatibility, there are so many things that could be done better. Instead, they copied the mistakes and added new ones.

My major complaints, were lack of AOT compiler as part of the Sun toolchain and not having value types.

Now they are on this major engineering effort trying to retrofit value types, without breaking jars compiled 25 years ago.

Exactly. Could have been great but isn't.

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