WFL, work flow language

[Roedy Green]

Years ago, Burroughs had an Algol-like scripting language called WFL,
Work Flow Language. You compiled it. It had proper ifs, loops etc.,
none of this mickey mouse goto stuff you put up with in Microsoft BAT
language.

I was thinking perhaps something similar is needed for Java.

Java bangs into portability problems as soon as you involve any BAT
files or other scripts. You want to do ALL this stuff with Java itself
to keep it completely portable.

I can think of several possible approaches:

1. writing a platform independent scripting language in Java.

2. Using Java itself as the scripting language, augmented with various
classes to make common tasks such as copying files easier. It might
work by constructing Java programs that are compiled on the fly.

3. implementing some well known scripting language in Java.

4. Using JPython as the scripting language, which use the JVM.

 

[Murray]

2. Using Java itself as the scripting language, augmented with various

classes to make common tasks such as copying files easier. It might
work by constructing Java programs that are compiled on the fly.

3. implementing some well known scripting language in Java.

4. Using JPython as the scripting language, which use the JVM.

Are you familiar with Groovy? Worth checking out if you haven't already

http://groovy.codehaus.org/

Recently submitted as a JSR: http://www.jcp.org/en/jsr/detail?id=241

 

[John Davison]

Years ago, Burroughs had an Algol-like scripting language called WFL,
Work Flow Language. You compiled it. It had proper ifs, loops etc.,
none of this mickey mouse goto stuff you put up with in Microsoft BAT
language.

I was thinking perhaps something similar is needed for Java.

Java bangs into portability problems as soon as you involve any BAT
files or other scripts. You want to do ALL this stuff with Java itself
to keep it completely portable.

I can think of several possible approaches:

1. writing a platform independent scripting language in Java.

2. Using Java itself as the scripting language, augmented with various
classes to make common tasks such as copying files easier. It might
work by constructing Java programs that are compiled on the fly.

3. implementing some well known scripting language in Java.

4. Using JPython as the scripting language, which use the JVM.

Well, you could always use a scripting language that already *is*
portable, like Perl. I don't know why anyone would use .bat files these
days, unless that's all they knew.

Perhaps I'm reading this wrong, but it sounds to me like you want to
reinvent a wheel that is already around in different shapes, sizes and
colors.

- john

 

[Martin Honnen]

Roedy Green wrote:

Java bangs into portability problems as soon as you involve any BAT
files or other scripts. You want to do ALL this stuff with Java itself
to keep it completely portable.

I can think of several possible approaches:

1. writing a platform independent scripting language in Java.

2. Using Java itself as the scripting language, augmented with various
classes to make common tasks such as copying files easier. It might
work by constructing Java programs that are compiled on the fly.

I don't know WFL and I have only once used BeanShell so I can't compare
those two but I think BeanShell comes close to "Using Java itself as the
scripting language". Maybe you already know about it but if not here is
a link
http://www.beanshell.org

3. implementing some well known scripting language in Java.

As you already know about JPython you already know about existing Python
implementations in Java. Other scripting languages are also already
implemented, for instance the Rhino engine from Mozilla.org implements
JavaScript. jedit has a plugin called SuperScript which lists support
for NetRexx, Perl, Ruby (and others) so there seem to be Java
implementations for those languages as well although I haven't used that
plugin myself.

 

[Thomas Kellerer]

Well, you could always use a scripting language that already *is*
portable, like Perl. I don't know why anyone would use .bat files these
days, unless that's all they knew.

Because they don't require any additionally software installation. I might
assume that Perl is installed on a *nix box, but I is surely not installed
on a wide base of Windows boxes....

Thomas

 

[Roedy Green]

Perhaps I'm reading this wrong, but it sounds to me like you want to
reinvent a wheel that is already around in different shapes, sizes and
colors.

Perl's syntax it too disgusting, even worse than bat language. It has
got the portable right, but I'm after something with a more Javaeseque
syntax.

Whatever it is has to be embraced by sun, so you can guarantee it is
available an each decent size platform, and that there is a platform
independent way of accessing it.

 

[Andrew Thompson]

Perl's syntax it too disgusting, even worse than bat language.

What have you got against bat language?
Is it something about sonar in general?
What are your thoughts on dolphin and
porpoise language then? ;-)

 

[Bryce]

Years ago, Burroughs had an Algol-like scripting language called WFL,
Work Flow Language. You compiled it. It had proper ifs, loops etc.,
none of this mickey mouse goto stuff you put up with in Microsoft BAT
language.

I was thinking perhaps something similar is needed for Java.

Java bangs into portability problems as soon as you involve any BAT
files or other scripts. You want to do ALL this stuff with Java itself
to keep it completely portable.

I can think of several possible approaches:

1. writing a platform independent scripting language in Java.

2. Using Java itself as the scripting language, augmented with various
classes to make common tasks such as copying files easier. It might
work by constructing Java programs that are compiled on the fly.

3. implementing some well known scripting language in Java.

4. Using JPython as the scripting language, which use the JVM.

Aren't there some standard Workflow related languages?

XML - Process Definition Language (PDL)
http://www.wfmc.org/

ebXML
www.ebxml.org

 

[Steven J Sobol]

Because they don't require any additionally software installation. I might
assume that Perl is installed on a *nix box, but I is surely not installed
on a wide base of Windows boxes....

But it's easy to get and doesn't cost anything. So there shouldn't be a big
problem getting it. ActiveState has, for several years, published a great
Perl interpreter for Windows. Its homepage is:

http://activestate.com/Products/ActivePerl/

**SJS (not associated with ActiveState, just a satisfied customer)

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[Steven J Sobol]

What have you got against bat language?

Since when are batch files and shell scripts portable?

Shell scripts often aren't even portable between different shells on the
same computer!!

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[Shane Mingins]

I can think of several possible approaches:

1. writing a platform independent scripting language in Java.

And you could name it JavaScript! Oh ... that would be funny

Shane

 

[Andrew Thompson]

Since when are batch files and shell scripts portable?

I think you need to take that comment of
mine in cotext with the one immediately
beneath it.
"Is it something about sonar in general?"

;-)

 

[Steven J Sobol]

I think you need to take that comment of
mine in cotext with the one immediately
beneath it.
"Is it something about sonar in general?"

Duh.

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Domain Names, $9.95/yr, 24x7 service: http://DomainNames.JustThe.net/
"someone once called me a sofa, but i didn't feel compelled to rush out and buy
slip covers." -adam brower * Hiroshima '45, Chernobyl '86, Windows 98/2000/2003

 

[Dr Brendan Gowing]

Years ago, Burroughs had an Algol-like scripting language called WFL,
Work Flow Language. You compiled it. It had proper ifs, loops etc.,
none of this mickey mouse goto stuff you put up with in Microsoft BAT

[...]

Check out <http://www.judoscript.com/>. A powerful JVM based scripting
language.

-BG