Java syntax is modelled after CeeLanguage, which is intended to promote programmer portability. Since CeeLanguage was set in 1972, improved syntaxes have been presented.
Better syntax -> greater clarity, fewer lines of code.
Fewer lines of code -> less writing, lower initial cost.
Greater clarity -> lower maintenance cost.
Lower cost -> more value.
Look how well Python and C# (CsharpLanguage) have done. Java could do better. As a matter of fact, I think this is a key value that people are ignoring. It is much more important than this castings/cloneable stuff.
Huh? CsharpLanguage also borrows its syntax from C.
- I'm an old C guy. Frankly, I'm a lot happier in just about any language than Java. I think its syntax has improved since 1.5 ... but it's still a verbose and overblown piece of hacked on munge-bait. "Fewer lines of code" is particularly ridicuolous. Go learn RubyLanguage and WpFe and let java die its long overdue death. Even CeePlusPlusIsBetterThanJava. So there.
See also: IsBreakStatementArchaic, ItsTimeToDumpCeeSyntax