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JVM, CLR &etc. - do we still need these higher-level VMs when LLVM is available?

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Dear all,

For sometime now I have held the opinion that the advantages of higher level virtual machines are dwarfed by the advantages of lower level virtual machines.

Often I am purporting to Java engineers that C++ (&etc.) are better languages because of their compiler architecture, speed, portability and sheer power.

A common argument in the C++ vs Java debate is one of binary portability. Nowadays though cross-compilers are commonplace, so I don't feel this argument holds much weight.

Other arguments are about type safety, overflow handlers &etc.; all of which are [optionally] handed by modern compiler systems (even for languages like C and C++). Arguments about concision, unicode support, standardisation and functional capabilities have been mostly pushed aside thanks to the latest (C11 and C++11) standards.

Due to my strong opinions on Java, C# &etc. I have forgone learning how to work with interesting systems such as Hadoop, Mahout, Nutch and Luscene. Recently I have started learning how to work with these systems as a matter of necessity (I don't have the time to rewrite them in a lower-level language).

Without defending Java, C#, Scala, F#, Cobra, Groovy, Clojure, Golo, Boo, Eiffel &etc. based on cool/big projects/frameworks built with them; can you help convince me that:
- High level virtual machines really aren't that bad, and though LLVM (and similar) has their place, they are not the future

Thanks,

Samuel Marks
/in/samuelmarks

PS: Before you mention it, I am aware of VMKit

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JVM, CLR &etc. - do we still need these higher-level VMs when LLVM is available? samuelmarks@gmail.com - 2014-07-26 00:47 -0700
  Re: JVM, CLR &etc. - do we still need these higher-level VMs when LLVM is available? lamarth@gmail.com - 2014-07-26 02:21 -0700

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