On: Rating 26 years of Java changes

[b_e_n_t_o_n]

I haven't written much Java but I am learning Kotlin and I really appreciate the language and the whole JVM ecosystem. Yeah yeah, Gradle is complicated but it's waaaaay easier to figure out than my adventures with Cmake, and when I read Java code there is a certain comfort I feel that I don't get with other languages, even ones I'm experienced with like Go. Java feels a bit like a stranger I've known my whole life, same with Kotlin. Perhaps despite all its flaws, there is a certain intrinsic quality to Java that has helped make it so popular.

[dcminter → b_e_n_t_o_n]

Maven was peak Java build tool. I detest Gradle. Some people just hate XML enough to doom us all.

[MBCook → dcminter]

I wouldn’t say I’m a fan of maven, but it is absolutely one of the best build/dependency tools I’ve ever used despite its warts.

So many things, even if they came much later, are somehow much worse.