RE: RPG.NET

> From: Bartell, Aaron L. (TC)
> 
> Good comments, just wanted to address one of them with this link:
> http://www.dotnet.za.net/viewcategory.asp?catid=5

Far more important to my eyes than platform ports is Java
interoperability.  My big complaint against .NET (other than the lame
architecture in the example code I've seen) is that it was originally
designed to be a Java killer.  By providing interoperability, a lot of
those complaints go away.

The only other outstanding issue will be the stability of the interface
over an extended period of time.  Microsoft has historically been very
poor about backwards compatibility, requiring massive upgrades with each
release of each OS.  If .NET is able to remain compatible across
releases, this may indeed make it a realistic player in the application
market.

If however Microsoft continues to change the underlying architecture
with each release, it will significantly destabilize not only
application development but all of these porting exercises.  Given
Microsoft's historical aversion to open playing fields, it would
indicate a significant shift in thinking if Microsoft were to stabilize
the API.  This I think will be the key as to whether .NET will really be
a viable alternative framework.

Joe