Official announcement of Java and the GPL

[Shane Hathaway]

Michael Torrie wrote:
> Notice in C# to add a callback to an event, we use the following syntax:
> /* Connect the "clicked" signal of the button to our callback */
> button.Clicked += new EventHandler (callback);
> 
> In Java it is:
> checkButton1.addListener(new ToggleListener() {
>         public void toggleEvent(ToggleEvent event) {
>                 if (checkButton1.getState())
>                         checkButton3.setSensitive(false);
>                 else
>                         checkButton3.setSensitive(true);
>         }
> });

FWIW, this illustrates why Java frequently turns out verbose. 
("Noun-orientedness" is not it.)  In Java it is necessary to assign a 
name to concepts that need no name at all in more dynamic languages. 
Here addListener is replaced with an operator in C#, ToggleListener is 
represented by the function signature, and the use of the ToggleEvent is 
probably optional.  The current Java model frequently requires the 
programmer to express things in an awkward way compared with other 
languages.

However, with Sun's Java implementation going GPL, there's finally hope 
for solving this stuff.  Coders who want to improve Java no longer have 
to feel like they're working for Sun without wages; now they can be part 
of the established free software community and work toward a common 
good.  Very cool.

Shane