scripting languages : Java Glossary

scripting languages
Scripting languages are used to chain applications together into batch streams. Scripting languages let you invoke various Java utilities and do simple calculations. They are also used interactively where you type a line and have it executed immediately. Some Java-based platform independent scripting languages have been devised such as Pnuts, FESI, JavaScript, DynamicJava and BeanShell.

Traditionally, scripting languages have had the ugliest syntaxes of any type of computer language. The ugliest surely has to be Windows/DOS command line. Other popular ones include Python, Bash, TCL/TK, Awk and Perl.

Because they are designed for one-shot command line use, the syntax of such languages tends to be loosey goosey (i.e. slovenly) with no type checking.

Usually scripting languages are interpreted (without even being preparsed) rather than compiled. Usually they have many platform and implementation dependencies. Usually they are a disgusting pile of seat-of-the-pants kludges piled on another. You might gather I don’t hold this branch of computer science in high regard.

I suggest avoiding these traditional scripting languages altogether and using ordinary Java instead for the same purpose. Use Jikes for compile speed. The advantages are:

BeanShell
computer languages
ebXML
eval
FESI
Groovy
JavaScript
JPython
JSR 223: scripting with Java
PDL (Process Definition Language)
python
Rhino
Ruby On Rails
YAWL (Yet Another Workflow Language)

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