HELP! * YELLOW=global GREY=local Global HTML version of Foils prepared 1 February 97

Foil 17 Java Features -- It's Simple and Familiar!

From Jan 22 Delivered Lecture for Course CPS616 -- Java Lecture 1 -- Overview CPS616 spring 1997 -- Jan 22 1997. by Nancy McCracken * See also color IMAGE
Secs 87.8
Java omits several rarely used, poorly understood and confusing features of C++ including operator overloading, multiple inheritance, pointers and automatic type coercions.
It adds automatic garbage collection which makes dynamic programming easier in Java than in C or C++.
  • No more mallocs!
It also adds 'Interface' construct, similar to Objective C concept, which often compensates for the lack of multiple inheritance by allowing method calling syntax to be "inherited".
The resulting language is familiar as it looks like C++ but is simpler and hence easier to program in.
It also results in a much smaller kernel which is suitable for planned Java ports to consumer electronic devices. Base (alpha) interpreter is ~40Kb, libraries and threads add additional 175Kb.


Northeast Parallel Architectures Center, Syracuse University, npac@npac.syr.edu

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