Jscript, Javascript, Livescript - they're all scripting languages, which
means they're interpreted on the fly, and not compiled.

Java is a proper language, but it's a different beast from Javascript. It
shares only really the name as a result of Sun's involvement in it's
creation.

.NET will support all sorts of languages. Perhaps third party vendors will
be able to bolt on support for other languages also. We'll see.

However, Java almost certainly won't be one of them, since the underlying
principals behind the Common Language and Java's Virtual Machine are so
similar-but-different, that I can imagine some real problems trying to do
it and come out with anything that wasn't merely a syntax-replication of
Java. Some argue, of course, that this is what Microsoft have done with
C-sharp, but IMO, syntax is nothing... it's the underlying structure that
will determine how fast and how scalably anything runs... and that's the
only reason for deciding which languages are or aren't worth learning. One
of the great things about the human brain is that PEOPLE can cross
platform even more portably than LANGUAGES can, and as soon as one
technology starts loosing the edge, only a fool would remain involved in
it. Unless Microsoft have goofed in a major-league kind of a way over this
.NET thing - which I doubt - we're all looking forward to a ten year
battle between Java and the .NET framework (and their as-yet undreamt-of
offspring). It'll be like Godzila versus King Kong and anyone in the
industry will have to be ready to jump ship whenever one or the other
starts looking like their loosing the fight.


> Does anyone know if there is any indication of Jscript being used as a
> compiled language in microsoft's Visual Studio .Net ? Jscript ala visual
> basic? anything of the like?