reverse Jython

[Maurice LING]

> If you dont' _need_ to include Java in your thesis, why not help with
> PyPy? It's the Python interpreter written in Python. It's regarded as
> a important piece of software for experimentation with the Python
> language itself. Give it a look:
> 
> http://codespeak.net/pypy/index.cgi?home
> 
> p.s. There is a rumour that the PyPy team secretly believes that they
> can make it run *faster* than CPython. Does it makes it a good thesis?
> ;-)
> 

PyPy, given the secret belief, will make a good project, on-going 
project, collaboration project. The problem lies with the nature of a 
thesis work or any academic project, what academics aims for is to 
publish papers, get money and work on an area.

With a large project like PyPy, the dynamics of academic research breaks 
down as it is real tough to carve a boundary of that you want to do. For 
example, if I say (announce on usenet) that I am working import 
mechanism, I will be hoping that nobody in this world will write the 
same thing before I am done with my thesis. If someone did that before 
me, then the chances of publishing my work drops to near zero. In the 
end, I'll be doing a one-man chase, not unlike running behind a 
MacClaren and trying to catch it...... This is why although PyPy is an 
important piece of work and by achieving that (even slower than Jython) 
will be a proof of concept of python's completeness, it is not quite 
suitable as an part of academic work. Not to mention that it is near 
impossible to get developers' documentation (the rationale behind each 
function and classes)......

This may be why academic research tends towards obscurity, at least 
then, I'll be walking with fellow tortoises and able to enjoy my coffee 
with biscotti, rather than running against a train. This may be why 
universities can develop new OS and new languages etc etc, because it 
fits into the dynamics of academic research and if your project is as 
untouched by the world as possible, your stress level drops. On this 
light, there is a group in University of Washington (I think) that is 
still working on putting type information into assembly language. Pardon 
my ignorance here but ask some researchers on the use of their work and 
it may boil down to academic curiosity.

I do not need to add Java into my thesis but I am trying to use it to 
brush up my Java skills (I hope). Perhaps I am dreaming of a world that 
anything can be written in any programming language (even multiple 
languages in a same script... how many times we get questions like... 
Can Python do ____?) and run on any machines with similar 
efficiencies... But then, maybe reversing the Tower of Babel is 
impossible...

Maurice