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Comment by robotcookies | Hacker News Reader

"Write once, run anywhere". This is partly, I think, the same reason why Java skyrocketed to popularity in the mid 90's. It gave hope of transcending the boundaries of the operating system.

Java, of course, failed in delivering on this promise. However, nothing has come as close to delivering this as Javascript has. Write once and your code will work on a mac, windows, linux, iPhone, android, and on.

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Java succeeded with this on the server-side but failed on the browser and desktop side. I'm not sure how to characterize it on the mobile side -- success in core libraries and basic language but not in the UI.

Javascript has finally gotten reasonable on the browser and ok on the server, but mobile Javascript apps aren't much better than Java was/is on the desktop.

Java succeeded with "run everywhere" on the desktop. A java binary written on a Mac will work in Windows or Linux.

But yeah, Java as a desktop development language per se has had mixed success. Minecraft did okay :o)

That's more of a property of the client side stack rather than inherent of Javascript itself right? If so, do you believe any language could have been in Javascripts spot today as long as it was supported by Netscape client side, even if it were say C++? Also, that doesn't answer the painfully slow adoption of Compile-to-JS languages which would also be written once and run anywhere.

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