Well well, the Java guys are going to make some mods

Lamba the Ultimate reports that there's a JSR for adding some stuff to Java. See the post here. Here's an extract:

Sun has recently posted a list of new proposed features for Java 1.5. These include:

1. A syntax for defining enumerated types. This syntax provides linguistic support for the Typesafe Enumeration pattern.
2. An automatic conversion from primitive types to their corresponding reference type wrappers. This conversion facilitates the integration of generics into the language, and reduces inessential clutter.
3. Enhanced for loops allow convenient iteration over collections, without the need for an explicitly defined iterator. This reduces the need for boilerplate iteration code and the corresponding opportunities for errors.
4. Static import. A mechanism to allow the use of unqualified constants.

Useful links: The JSR document describing these proposals in more detail and the discussion on The Server Side. It's interesting to note how these changes are mostly cosmetic alterations to syntax rather than deeper semantic changes such as adding blocks. There's an interesting wiki page I started a while back that offers some interesting proposals that would really shake up Java.

It's as if the Sun guys almost get it, but not quite... Closures? Nahh, that would be useful, can't have that for the unwashed masses, can we? The Wiki Ref above actually makes some interesting proposals; on the other hand, people wanting such things could just use Smalltalk and be productive now. Can't have that either, I suppose; gotta follow the herd wherever it goes. At this pace, Java might conceivably be as usable as Smalltalk in about, oh, maybe 20-30 years. In th emeantime, the suckage continues....