The A-Z of Programming Languages: From Pizza to Scala

Techworld Australia (08/18/11) Lisa Banks

Scala, Twitter's underlying programming language, was developed by Martin Odersky in an attempt to incorporate some functional elements, first within a language extension of Java, and then within a language that did not have Java's restrictions. "At first, this was an experiment, to answer the question whether we could achieve a tight integration between functional and object-oriented programming and whether this would lead to a useful programming model and language," Odersky says in an interview. Scala increasingly developed into an open source environment and then into a language that could be commercially supported. Odersky says one of the biggest challenges of developing Scala was having a language distinct from Java but that also is simultaneously interoperable with Java. He notes that Scala is increasingly used in projects inside Twitter. "Scala keeps much of the 'feel' of a dynamic language even though it is statically typed," Odersky says. "It thus tends to appeal to people who come from dynamic languages--not all of them but some of them."

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New Tools to Help Objects to Communicate via the Net

Research Council of Norway (06/17/11) Geir Aas; Else Lie

Norwegian researchers are working on standardized tools and distribution platforms for the Internet of Things through the Infrastructure for Integrated Services (ISIS) project. The platform they have created includes the Arctis programming tool for developers and the ISIS Store Web site for downloading applications. Norwegian University of Science and Technology researcher Frank Alexander Kraemer says Arctis will help ease the generation of new apps, their adaptation to existing apps, and the updating of software on an as-needed basis. The Telenor Group's Reidar Martin Svendsen says the ICE Composition Engine will facilitate communication between objects, and his company aims to become an Internet of Things operator by functioning as a connection between developers and end users. Through the App Store, end users can purchase and download apps published by developers based on their own needs and preferences, while the Puzzle software enables downloaded apps to be combined as needed. The ISIS project's success hinges on the willingness of people to pay for the apps, and Svendsen notes that app prices will be determined by developers. "If your system needs updating or you require a service, it is an advantage to be using a reputable, recognized operator," he says.

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