Blog: Dynamic Programming Futures

Dynamic Programming Futures
IDG News Service (10/13/08) Wayner, Peter

Dynamic programming languages such as Ruby on Rails, JavaScript, Perl, and Python have achieved sufficient critical mass to succeed and thrive in the future, but experts say the nature of one's business and the structure of one's data are more important considerations than coolness when it comes to choosing a language platform. The future evolution of scripting languages will be guided by 10 principles, including the reduced importance of semantic barriers as the languages scramble to pinch good concepts off each other, the growing dominance of frameworks, and the rising value of communities. Another factor shaping scripting languages is the evolution of applications into their own worlds, while the Web and the cloud are emerging as the conclusive platform. Improved language technology will lead to significant performance gains, and the life of dynamic code will be extended by emulation and cross-compilation. Another key principle is the penetration of programming into Web applications through embedding, while the relevance of dynamic programming could be greatly reduced by the advent of amateur programmers. Finally, a critical factor is adaptability for modern architectures. Any one of the emerging scripting languages may be appropriate as long as they track and navigate these 10 principles.

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