Sun 'releases' Java to the world (BBC) {Open-sourcing!}

[eppur_se_muova]

Computer giant Sun Microsystems says it will offer programming language Java to the open source community.

Java is used in more than 3.8 billion mobile phones, computers and other devices around the world.

The decision to release the code under an open licence means the world can now use, develop and share Java for free.

The same type of licence also covers the distribution of the core, or kernel, of the open source operating system Linux.
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All the Java source code is expected to be released by March 2007, Mr Green said.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6144748.stm

[UndertheOcean]

1. I love Java!

Much easier than C++ to learn.

[tridim]

2. This might piss off some people, but Java is in it's last throes

Sun is releasing it because they're well aware that it's a dying language. This news would have probably excited me about 8 years ago.

Javascript certainly lives, but honestly when was the last time any of you ran a Java applet?

[Little Wing]

3. Java moved to server-side years ago

[MikeDuffy]

4. What are the "hot" languages that are being used now

in place of Java?

[stevietheman]

6. PHP (very common), Perl (old web standby) and Ruby (big up-and-comer) n/t

n/t

[htuttle]

5. It's almost all I use at my day job, but I don't write applets

I write mostly server-side stuff and Swing desktop programs. Swing stuff runs really well on Mac OSX (which is all we use on the desktop at work), the all around Java API is very complete (database, network, etc), and it's very easy to find Java programmers. It's one of the languages they teach most comp sci students nowdays.

I'd bet you use java-based server side programs all the time without realizing it.