There is quite a lot of business software made in Java. If Cobol still lives because there is a software base in Cobol that companies do not want to let die, I think Java will live long, too.

For me the core question is, if Java will have a lifetime longer than my project, and I very much hope the answer is yes. Even if Java development should stop, tools and runtimes don't vanish, but can be used some more years until changes in hardware and OSes let them become obsolete.

The question of future code reuse after 10 years or more doesn't seem so important, thus I do not base my decision which language I use today, on what language I might use in ten years or more. And for today I think Java is a fairly safe bet. And in 10 years so much has changed that the question became obsolete anyways.

Quote:Original post by Hajo The Dreamer

For me the core question is, if Java will have a lifetime longer than my project, and I very much hope the answer is yes. Even if Java development should stop, tools and runtimes don't vanish, but can be used some more years until changes in hardware and OSes let them become obsolete.

Software is irrelevant. Its function matters.

See DosBox for proof.

If your software has adequate value, people will continue to use it. Many would consider old DOS games laughable in world of trillion polys/sec systems. Yet the DOS game community is going stronger than ever.

Java is here to stay. Sun is changing strategy. Rather than pushing JVM, they are doing a very smart move - they're moving to VM.

Many developers dismiss Java, but fail to realize that the VM that Sun built is surprisingly powerful and well built. And given the fact that it's been open sourced now, if nothing else - any hobbyst can maintain it if need be.

Maybe I was unclear. I've decided for Java because I'm confident it won't vanish soon.

And yes, DosBox is a very nice example that legacy software can live much longer than first expected. Which I consider a good thing.