[Coco] Java on the CoCo (was Perl PL for OS/9)

[Bill Cousert]

Does this help?


-----begin quote----
Hi,

I successfully ported the NanoVM (www.harbaum.org/till/nanovm/) to the
cc65 toolchain (www.cc65.org).

It's a very minimalistic Java implementation written in portable C.
The binary built with cc65 is only 16kB.

The NanoVM source is available via anonymous CVS access at
SourceForge.net (sourceforge.net/projects/nanovm/).

To allow you easy access I created a zip file
(www.jantzer-schmidt.de/nanovm-cc65.zip) containing:

1. The tool necessary to convert .class files into an .nvm file to be
loaded by the NanoVM in case you want to create your own Java
programs.

2. An Apple2 .dsk image file containing the NanoVM binary together
with some samples. Type 'EXEC <TXT File> to run one of the sample Java
programs.

3. A C64 .d64 image file containing the NanoVM binary together with
some samples. Type 'RUN:REM <NVM File> to run one of the sample Java
programs.

The source of the sample Java programs can be viewed  via CVS
repository browsing
(nanovm.cvs.sourceforge.net/nanovm/nanovm/java/examples/).

Best, Oliver

----end quote---




________________________________
From: Christian Lesage <hyperfrog at gmail.com>
To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>
Sent: Monday, August 31, 2009 3:52:56 AM
Subject: Re: [Coco] Java on the CoCo (was Perl PL for OS/9)

It would be technically feasible to port the NanoVM Java virtual machine to the CoCo, but I doubt you would have time to do that since you only have time to learn one language.

Anyway, for those interested in this VM, here's what I found. Originally written for the AVR (ATMega) family of microcontrollers, NanoVM was has been ported to the 6502, so it could certainly be ported to the 6809. The VM itself is written in C and occupies 8kB of ROM space on the AVR platform (don't how much space on the 6502). It's just a VM though; you don't get the standard Java class libraries, but you get OOP and automatic garbage collection, which are two nice features I'd really like to have in a language that the CoCo could run. In addition, bytecode-compiled programs are very compact.

But how fast would it be on a CoCo 3? I'd be happy if it was as fast as interpreted BASIC.

I've just sent a message to the guy who ported it to the 6502 because I can't find the archive he once made publicly available. If he sends it to me, I will try  NanoVM on my C64 and report the results to this list. I wanna see how "fast" it runs on a 1-MHz 6502. I guess we could double that performance on a 1.8-MHz 6809.

Christian


TP Reitzel wrote:
> Here's the bottom line. I'm busy. Aren't we all? ;)
> 
> I want to learn ONE programming language with modern features that's potentially capable of running on older 8-bit/16-bit architectures such as the CoCo.  I want this computer language to have scripting and functional programming features as well as traditional procedural capability. Perl6 (Rakudo on Parrot or Mildew) is one option if an embedded version were available. Personally, I also like Lua. Fortunately, a project has been started by developers working on an embedded version of Lua,  https://lists.berlios.de/mailman/listinfo/elua-dev .  Maybe, this discussion should be generalized to include modern compilers on newer architectures generating intermediate/assembly code for older architectures as well. However, I ONLY have time to learn ONE language now and into the foreseeable future. TIA
> 
>  


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