Re^6: A "Perl-7" that I could actually USE right now

[Jenda]

It might have made sense in late 90s when Java was hip and looked like it's gonna evolve. IMnsHO at this time MONO would be a much better target. Even if it takes Google a few more months to make the switch.

Anyway some pointers to the current rationale would be appreciated, thanks!

[raiph]

Don't forget there's something like a billion Android (JVM) devices and (rapidly) counting.

For a piece of the rationale for the JVM port, see the answer to the question "Was the move of porting Rakudo to the JVM planned, or was it driven by Parrot’s deficiencies?" in All about Perl 6 – interview of Jonathan Worthington (Part 1 of 3). There's more to it than that but it covers some key pieces.

jnthn has spoken about his position on a CLR backend but I didn't find it when I quickly looked. In a nutshell, it's "Sure, that would be great, and we know it'll work well, but I'm not doing it, someone else would have to run with it, and they may not even get much of my time to help them figure stuff out". There's a similar answer for the JS backend that's being progressed as a GSOC project by pmurias, fperrad's LuaJit backend, and so on.

Volunteers will do what they want, but I'd say development of the JVM and MoarVM backends now have, respectively, tactical and strategic primacy over development of other backends for the next 12 months. And they have the momentum. jnthn and sorear have been rocketing through the JVM port. (Here's jnthn's recent update on the JVM port.) And MoarVM's attracting uber hackers too such as Chip Salzenberg.