The Positive Legacy of C++ and Java

The Positive Legacy of C++ and Java


Java itself will diminish, just as C++ did, to be used in special cases (or perhaps just to support legacy code, since it doesn't have the same connection to hardware as C++ does). But the unintentional benefit, the true accidental brilliance of Java is that it has created a very smooth path for its own replacements, even if Java itself has reached the point where it can no longer evolve. All future languages should learn from this: either create a culture where you can be refactored (as Python and Ruby have done) or allow competitive species to thrive.