The Great Language Debate

The Great Language Debate will explore the benefits of some of the currently in-use object-oriented programming languages. Languages will include Ada, Eiffel, Java, C++, and Smalltalk, and possibly others. This is a moderated panel. The moderator will be someone who is as unbiased as possible. Each language will be represented by an advocate who will share a short presentation about a favorite language. Members of the panel will pose questions to each other. Those in the audience will be free to ask questions of the panelists.This is a regular feature of the TOOLS USA conference. It is usually spirited - sometimes slightly irreverent as panelist and audience members identify their own prejudices about the languages represented.We hope that, as the participants frankly reveal their own views, and hear intelligent rebuttals, that everyone will learn something new about the languages we use for object-oriented software construction. Although no one can possible learn each language in depth from this panel discussion, participants might be encouraged to pursue more in-depth study of some language that might have eluded their interest in the past.