Re: Java Implementation

[Alex Lancaster]

>>>>> "GL" == greg lloyd <address@hidden> writes:

GL> One of our colleagues attended the SwarmFest last weekend and was
GL> discussing with me the current availability of a Java
GL> Implementation.

The support for writing simulations in Java will be released in Swarm
2.0 which has not been released yet.  

GL> However, I cannot find (on the WWW) any documentation on the Java
GL> implementation.

GL> Can someone advise on the location of the documentation both for
GL> "Java" Swarm and also the Java manual and (recommended) software.

To clarify: there is no *separate* `Java' Swarm implementation, there
is no separate Java documentation required (since the interface is
exactly the same).  The software required to install this version will
also remain the same, with the exception that you will need the JDK.
Details on versions etc. will provided on the release page when 2.0 is
released.

Swarm *itself* will remain in Objective C.  What we are intending to
provide is the ability for users to write *their* simulation code in
Java, not a rewrite of Swarm itself in Java.  So the functionality
provided to the Java programmer will be identical to that provided to
the Objective C programmer.  This is being done using the JNI (Java
Native Interface) which is part of Sun's JDK tp allow Java programmers
to call non-Java `native' (the `N' of JNI) code such as the Objective
C Swarm kernel.

It's likely that at least for a while there will be a shortage of
step-by-step tutorial-style documentation for programming Swarm
simulations in Java.

There's a veritable glut of `how-to-program-in-Java' type books out
there on the market, that there's no point in providing a tutorial on
the Java language *itself* in the Swarm documentation (other than the
occasional really Swarm-specific idioms you might use in Java).

Largely it's a matter of adopting the material that was developed in
the Objective C world and making the (mostly) mechnical translation
into Java syntax.  We anticipate that this situation won't last too
long as more folks in the user community step up to the bat with code
contributions.

I should also emphasise that the support of the Java language in Swarm
*in no way* compromises the ability of current Objective C users to
continue developing in Objective C if they so wish.  Since the kernel
is still in Objective C there will be no drastic interface changes
required for 2.0.

GL> We will be using both Linux and MS-Windows 95/98/NT.

GL> Any comments would be appreciated, including Java demos/examples
GL> if available.

It's likely that the initial release we will provide a re-write of
`heatbugs' and perhaps some of the other demos in Java.  Porting all
the existing examples to Java is unlikely in the short-term future.
We anticipate that as more Java programmers start using Swarm that
they will start developing applications that can provide the role that
the current Objective C examples do right now. 

Hope this helps.

  --- Alex

-- 
  Alex Lancaster           |  e-mail: address@hidden
  Swarm Program            |     web: http://www.santafe.edu/~alex
  Santa Fe Institute       |     tel: +1-(505) 984-8800 (ext 242)
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