Novel Thoughts on Scripting and Languages

[James Huang]

Perl and Python programmers are all material witnesses
of how scripting can greatly improve productivity. That's
why scripting languages enjoy great success. Scripting
means that we can issue OS commends from within a
full-fledged programming language -- a scripting language.

Have you ever thought about scripting more areas, such
as SQL, XML, EJB, SGML, HTTP, E-mail and GUI, the way you
script OS commands, all at once? Think about it!

In Perl and Python, anything beyond OS-level scripting
must be programmed through some kind of APIs. APIs are
great for creating robust software applications, hence
are generic, detailed and low-level. Practically, they
are "anti-scripting". Scripting really means to specify
your needs in a specific domain. For example, you specify
a "cp" command to copy file(s) instead of open two files,
read from one then write into another. In the case of
Python and Perl, the domain is OS itself.

Perhaps back then, it was satisfactory enough to script
just OS commands. Not any more! Today, SQL, XML, HTML,
HTTP and E-mail are a part of our everyday lives. A
language tool capable of scripting all these will put
tremendous power in the hands of innovative programmers.
The good news is, such a tool has emerged -- JudoScript.

JudoScript is a general-purpose, Java scripting,
multi-domain language. It is a general-purpose
programming language, fully capable of Java scripting,
and supports many applcation features in a
domain-specific way that include:

  JDBC scripting
  XML scripting
  SGML scripting
  ActiveX scripting
  HTTP server and client scripting
  OS-level scripting
  Java GUI scripting
  Send mail
  Scheduler
  SSH, SCP and FTP
  and more, and is growing

How can JudoScript achieve so much? It stands on the
shoulders of Java and open source. It implements a lot,
too. Try these links, especially the white paper:

  http://www.judoscript.com/articles/whitepaper.html
  http://www.judoscript.com
  http://www.judoscript.com/articles/
  http://www.judoscript.com/ref/
  http://www.judoscript.com/examples/


What about Python and Perl? One thing you need to
realize is that, Perl, Python and Java communities
have all been developing large amount of code
overlapping similar areas, but Java is standing out.
This is reality. A same Java API can be used by Java
(a popular system language) and also scriptable by any
Java-based scripting languages. You can't beat that.

But Java does have limitations, since it is a common
denominator of all platforms.

The rule of thumb is, if your scripts make a lot of
system calls, stay where you are; otherwise, Java is
well worth investigating. If you do, then do it with
the right tool -- JudoScript -- you won't regret it.


Wish you all a fruitful year of 2003!


-James Huang,
 author of JudoScript