What features should Java 7 onwards have to encourage switching from C#? [closed]

Answer 1

I'll also give one answer the other way around. C# needs an enumeration implementation like Java has. Java's enumerations rock!

Let me add anonymous overrides to this list also. Sorry to go off topic, but C# needs the ability to anonymously override methods. I have been switching back and forth between Java and C#, and I have to say for unit testing legacy code, there is nothing better than anonymous class overriding.

Answer 2

They should start by fixing the Calendar/Date related classes, even that seems too much to ask.

Answer 3

As a .NET/C# developer here are the missing features that annoy me. This list in no particular order - just as thoughts come to mind:

1. The Java library is too small. For common things I have to choose between 5 competing open source products because the base library is lacking in so many ways.
2. This is an Object Oriented programming language right? Why in the heck do primitive types not inherit from "object"?
3. Pointers
4. Lambdas
5. Closures
6. Partial Classes and to a lesser extent partial Methods
7. Real support for Generics
8. Using statements and Dispose - this was a real WTF for me. You really have to explicitly close connections in try/catch blocks. Poor Java guys!
9. Yield return would be nice
10. Unsigned integers - again WTF? I have to use number types larger than I need for what purpose again?
11. In Java you can return from final blocks of try/catch. A co-worker confused the hell out of me for hours by introducing a bug this way. This behavior should be prohibited as in C#.

I rarely have to use Java and when I do, I have all sorts of WTF moments.

Edit: I Removed for-each comment based on the fact it is no longer a missing Java feature since 1.5.

Answer 4

In my experience, Java vs. .Net is more of a business decision than a technical one. Shops with MS experience trend towards .Net and shops with Java experience trend towards Java & OSS. I've seen little evidence of people switching based upon language features. On the other hand, I've seen shops heavily tilt towards one platform b/c of one or two key employees they wanted to hire being knowledgeable in that area.

Answer 5

Less heinous XML parsing and manipulation tools. Doing anything with XML in Java sucks.

Answer 6

a map({codeblock}) which runs over anything iterable would be nice. And filter too. And being able to return multiple values easily from a method.

(a,b,c) = getThreeValues();

(would assign the individual variables a, b and c).

Actually I just think they should have Haskell as a supported scripting language on the JVM :D