After waiting for more than a month, Google has unveiled its mysterious Dart programming language… and you’re going to kick yourself for getting so preemptively excited. Dart is a new programming language that looks like Java, acts a lot like Java, runs inside a virtual machine (VM) like Java… but ominously, it also has a tool that converts Dart code intoJavaScript.
The idea is that there’ll be a Dart VM that can execute Dart code on the server — like Node.js for JavaScript, but presumably faster — and the Dart-to-JavaScript cross compiler will allow Dart code to run on any modern browser. There will also be a tool called Dartboard, which is just like the JavaScript console that most web browsers have.
Language-wise, its features are unlikely to knot your panties: there are classes and interfaces, it is optionally typed (you can switch between untyped prototype code to an enterprise app with typing), the syntax is very lackluster, there’s a very strong concurrency model, and Google is promising lots of juicy libraries that can be leveraged by developers. Basically, the language isn’t meant to be exciting: in Google’s own words, it’s designed to be “familiar and natural” — and indeed, if you write Java or C# code, Dart will probably feel very approachable.
Some sample Dart code — execute it or write your own at try-dart-lang.appspot.com
So, why Dart? Why has Google muddied the waters with yet another web language? It seems like there are two valid and honorable reasons: a) Dart should make it easier to scale up from prototype to production-quality code, and b) an actual web language that homogeneously encapsulates both client and server, without leveraging Node.js or Google Web Toolkit, could be rather enticing.
We have to look at the motive, however. Google ultimately wants Dart to replace JavaScript as the open web browser programming language. In a leaked memo, Google outlines the (apparently) unfixable problems with JavaScript, how Dart fixes them, and its plans for taking of the web. This is why the syntax and structure are familiar — to get as many developers on board as possible — and if the cross compiler is good enough, Google won’t even need Microsoft or Mo illa’s cooperation.
It’s a militaristic coup and attempted coup de grâce on JavaScript, in other words. The question now is whether Google and Dart have the might, heft, and tenacity to move millions of developers away from their billions of lines of existing JavaScript code. We should be grateful that Dart is an open source (BSD) project, at least…
Google Dart unveiled: Farewell, JavaScript
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