Where to post Scala discussions

[Garrett Rowe]

I'd really like to post questions/discussions about the Scala programming language in a dedicated spot. There are currently a couple topics under general computing, and one under Object Oriented Scripting. I guess as a catch-all general computing is currently the most appropriate place. I don't tend to think of Scala as a scripting language, although as Marc Peabody pointed out to me it can be used for scripting. I'm not really all that picky about it, I just want to nail down where would be the most appropriate location.

Maybe even a new forum called Other JVM languages (or something like that).

Thoughts?

[Ernest Friedman-Hill]

For now, "Object-Oriented Scripting" is the place to go. I understand that it's not a great fit, but I think the best solution might be to rename the forum something like "Other JVM Languages", or maybe "Other Dynamic Languages" so Ruby isn't left out?

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

How about "other languages". The subtitle could continue to list examples as is does now.

[Mike Simmons]

It does seem like "Object-Oriented Scripting Languages" is unduly limiting in this case, and even if Scala discussion is allowed there, many people will not think to post there because, well, Scala isn't a scripting language. Scala is closer to Java than most of the scripting languages are, but the current forum names don't really encourage Scala discussion anywhere but General Computing (where the tumbleweeds blow by). I think any of the proposed names so far are preferable to OO Scripting Languages at this point. I'm not sure how well Scala classifies as "dynamic" - it depends on definition I suppose. Thanks to JRuby, I think Ruby discussion would still fit under JVM Languages. Really, I think "Other Languages" makes the most sense, without putting artificial constraints about what can be discussed.

[Ilja Preuss]

+1 for "Other Languages". Or perhaps "Other Programming Languages" - otherwise me might get questions on Esperanto...

[Michael Ernest]

I'd vote for 'Related Programming Languages' to separate things like Scala and C# from 'Other Languages" which could be anything.

[Ernest Friedman-Hill]

Originally posted by Michael Ernest:
I'd vote for 'Related Programming Languages' to separate things like Scala and C# from 'Other Languages" which could be anything.

+1 on "Related". I like that.

[Jesper de Jong]

But Scala isn't really that much "related" to Java. And it is not really just a scripting language either.

I'm in favour for "Other Languages on the JVM", or something similar.

Scala is not a dynamically-typed language, so "Other Dynamic Languages" wouldn't include Scala.
[ June 28, 2008: Message edited by: Jesper Young ]

[Ilja Preuss]

What makes a language "related"?

[Gregg Bolinger]

I'd vote for just changing the name of OO Scripting Languages to something more appropriate. If we go towards a VM based langauge forum then where does Groovy and JRuby go since they are scripting languages? There aren't a whole slew of Scala questions anyway, yet.

[Mike Simmons]

Gregg]: I'd vote for just changing the name of OO Scripting Languages to something more appropriate.

Like what? I think most of the suggestions so far have been for some sor t of renaming - but what name makes the most sense?

[Gregg]: If we go towards a VM based langauge forum then where does Groovy and JRuby go since they are scripting languages?

They are both definitely JVM-based, regardless of the fact that they're "scripting" languages - by which we presumably mean, loosely-typed languages. So they'd fit fine in a JVM languages forum. Ruby and Python would not fit there as well, but their cousins JRuby and Jython would.

[Gregg]: There aren't a whole slew of Scala questions anyway, yet.

True. Much of the interest in the language has been recent, and apparently growing - at least for now. Maybe it will continue to grow, and maybe it will fade - subsumed by some other language, probably. But right now, I think Scala discussion here is further reduced by the fact that there's no good home for it, at last based on the forum names.
[ June 28, 2008: Message edited by: Mike Simmons ]

[Mike Simmons]

[Jesper]: But Scala isn't really that much "related" to Java. And it is not really just a scripting language either.

Not really a scripting language at all, I think. But I think it is related - it runs on a JVM, and you can easily call any Java library from Scala. That's been part of its design all along. The syntax is not as close to Java's as Groovy's syntax is to Java's, but it's closer than, say, JRuby's or Jython's is. And Scala's type safety is more like Java's than any of the other languages mentioned. I think Scala would easily qualify as "related" to Java. Ruby and Python would have a harder time though.

[Mike Simmons]

I vote for two complementary forums: "Other Cool Languages" and "Crappy Languages". That should cover everything, yes?

[Ilja Preuss]

Originally posted by Mike Simmons:
I vote for two complementary forums: "Other Cool Languages" and "Crappy Languages". That should cover everything, yes?

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

So we have:
- Other languages
- Other JVM languages
- Other related Languages
- Other cool languages
(sorry if I missed any suggestions)

Ilja: I think a "related" language is a programming language so people don't start discussing Klingon in there

Mike: I hope your "crappy languages" suggestion is a joke. Forums shouldn't be making judgment calls about a language...

[Mike Simmons]

Yes, that was a joke. As was "Other Cool Languages" - the two categories were intended to be complementary, both requiring a value judgement.

[Ulf Dittmer]

We've added new forums for Groovy and Scala; see the announcement here.