Newspeak: A Principled Dynamic Language

Google Tech Talk
May 4, 2010

ABSTRACT


In this talk, we present the main features of Newspeak, a dynamic programming language focused on software engineering. All names in Newspeak are late bound - including class names. Hence all classes in Newspeak are virtual, every class declaration defines a mixin, and class hierarchy inheritance comes for free.

Newspeak has no global namespace and no static state. Top level classes act as module definitions. These have no external dependencies. Each instance of a top level class is a module that runs in its own sandbox in accordance with the object capability security model.

Gilad Bracha is the creator of the Newspeak programming language. Previously, he was a Distinguished Engineer at Cadence, and a Computational Theologist and Distinguished Engineer at Sun. He is co-author of the Java Language Specification, and a researcher in the area of object-oriented programming languages. Prior to joining Sun, he worked on Strongtalk, the Animorphic Smalltalk System. He received his B.Sc in Mathematics and Computer Science from Ben Gurion
University in Israel and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Utah.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• google
• tech
• talk
• programming
• languages

[anonymousleafx]

@murdelabop At the beginning, it says Gilad Bracha - Ministry of Truth. He probably knows the reference.

[bakkdoor]

@murdelabop if you would've looked at it more closely, you'd realize that being able to "shrink" a language has been one motivating factor for the development of Newspeak and thus the name does make sense. And yes, the name comes from Orwells 1984.

[TheAbsoluTurk]

7 people are doubleungood

[richardmullins44]

@h4m1dr3z4 but its not bad quality in my opinion. I limit myself to what I see as subtitles - this gives a "second opinion" on what I have heard.

[richardmullins44]

@nmarcel I find the automatic subtitles very helpful. You don't have to stress about missing the odd word in the lecture - you can limit yourself to what appears as subtitles - maybe sometimes there are errors in the subtitles, but this does not matter.

[A1R5N1P3R]

Orwell much?

[flipsk8ter1080]

@bakkdoor you are very wise.

[nmarcel]

The language is very interesting.

But this video sucks!

It would be better to capture only the presentation screens.

[exenrontexas]

@m3rnst Since you have been doing these for a long time and these defects have been repeatedly pointed out, then please explain why the consistent thread of GoogleTechTalks is low production quality. If your videos have value then doesn't these deserve improving the quality. What is the problem? Money? Technology knowledge and understanding? Staffing? Investment in equipment? Perhaps the speaker refused to cooperate? Please help me to understand the continuing failure?

[m3rnst]

Yes the recording is bad. Yes we know it. Please accept our sincere apologies. Would you rather we take it down again?