[GNU-COBOL] [rms@santafe.edu: Re: Java and GNU products]

[Laura Tweedy <tweedy@umr.edu>]

This is the mail I got back from Richard Stallman about using Java for a
GNU project.  He suggests that is we want to be considered in the same 
classification as GCC, the fortran, and pascal compilers that we need to
write in C to connect to the back-end.  Chad, we need to discuss this more.

Cheers.

----- Forwarded message from Richard Stallman <rms@santafe.edu> -----
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From: Richard Stallman <rms@santafe.edu>
Date: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 02:16:55 -0500
To: tweedy@umr.edu
Cc: gnu@gnu.org
In-Reply-To: <199810271606.LAA23903@delysid.gnu.org> (message from Laura
	Tweedy on Mon, 26 Oct 1998 22:56:17 -0600)
Subject: Re: Java and GNU products
Reply-To: rms@gnu.org

      After reading some of the documents on the GNU
    web page, I am assume that we can not

That is a surprise.  Could you show me the text that you mean,
and tell me which web page it is?  I would like to clarify it.

    There have been some questions raised as to wether we can use Java and still
    be considered a GNU product.

In principle, we have no objection to using Java.  The practical
question is, can the job be done that way?

It is now possible to run Java programs on free operating systems,
because we now have free Java libraries as well as free Java
interpreters and free Java compilers.  Therefore, as a general rule,
it is ok to write GNU programs in Java.  This was NOT true six months
ago; at that time, it was *impossible* to run a Java program on a free
operating system.

However, I don't see how it is possible to write the GNU COBOL
compiler in Java.  The reason is that it should be a front-end for
GCC, like the existing front ends for C, C++, Objective C, Pascal,
Fortran and Ada.

Such a front end needs to link with the back end of the GNU C
Compiler, and access the C-level data structures that the compiler
uses.  I don't think Java is very good for this.  I think you would
need to write it in C.

But this makes me wonder; if you have been writing the compiler in
Java, how come you did not encounter this problem right at the
beginning?  Have you aimed at something other than a front end
for GCC?  If so, this could be a major design mistake.


----- End forwarded message -----

-- 
   .. Laura Tweedy .. tweedy@umr.edu ..
"Be well, do good work, and keep in touch."

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