Top scripting languages for the Java Virtual Machine

There are a couple of technologies associated with the term “Java”- Java Virtual Machine or JVM and Java programming language. The vaunted portability of Java is through bytecode compilation of the language which then runs on JVM. At one point of time, there was a total dependency factor of the two with each other- Java was the one and only programming language used for JVM. But with the passage of time, both of them moved in opposite directions and software industry realized that with JVM’s potential there was the need of providing more options which came in the form of several scripting languages.

Through scripting languages developers are enabled to write fast as well as efficient programs. Many of them are either object-based or object-oriented. Most of them use late-bound polymorphism and are interpreted. These attributes make the languages easily programmable as well as extremely dynamic which are further necessary for RAD or rapid application development. In fact, their popularity is ever-increasing which has resulted in the growing list of such languages.

Groovy- This new agile dynamic JVM language combines many great features from several languages such as Ruby, Python, Smalltalk, etc which are then made available to the developers through a syntax that is like Java. This object-oriented language simplifies the code through duck typing. It also offers closure which enables small code to be specified as stand-alone entity which can then be tacked on to other operations. The design aims at doing things in a more concise, fun and quicker way.

Jython- This implements the object-oriented, dynamic and high-level language Python and is written purely in 100% Java. There is a seamless integration with Java platform which allows the running of Python on whichever related platform that you want. Jython helps in the development of JSP which for Python Server Pages is called PSP. The syntax is very clear and the language allows abstract classes to be used effectively.

Rhino- This Javascript’s open-source implementation is written totally in Java and embedded typically into related applications so that end users can script. This is object-based as well as powerful. Netscape Public License or NPL covers the code of freely available Rhino. The base of Rhino is on JavaScript 1.5 which in turn is based on a cross-platform general-purpose programming language called ECMAScript. Rhino is a natural choice for rapid application development as well as prototyping in JVM.

Tcl- Java Tcl or Java Command Language (JACL) is Tcl 8.x’s Java implementation which allows writing of scripts meant for APIs as well as Java-related components. Additionally Tcl blend allows related objects to be manipulated directly from Tcl which is open source. There are several users as well as developers who have seen development costs being reduced significantly by using this.

Bistro’s Smalltalk- The Smalltalk variant called Bistro has extension for JVM integration as well as for features. Software developers are enriched with an ability of coding in very expressive as well as readable syntax. The dynamically typed Bistro has the option of being typed statically so that the integration may be made closer. Thus mix and match can be done between the systems.

BSF or Bean Scripting Framework- This set comprises of Java classes that provide good scripting support within applications along with access to methods and objects from languages. JSPs can be written by it in other languages excepting Java; it also allows access to class library.

Scripting languages can never actually replace the language. However they are no doubt great supplements to the platform. These interactive, dynamic environments help in rapid development of code. In fact, they can improve productivity by quite a number of times. Apart from the ones mentioned here, there are several other choices available for developers; all you have to do is select the most appropriate one. Finding the best scripting language to suit your needs will definitely help in conquering your projects. To get maximum benefits of Java, you may consider hiring services of a certified Java web development company.

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