It has been speculated for some time now. As of right this minute however, I am convinced. Ruby on Rails may be the final nail in a coffin made out of Java Applets.

If Java is a steady freight train, then Ruby on Rails is one of the sleek, super-fast Acela trains that whoosh travelers along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor.

Java has come under pressure as being unfit for the Web tier because of its complexity, while scripting or dynamic languages such as PHP, Perl and Python continue to gain acceptance because of their ease of use and performance.

At both the EclipseCon and TheServerSide Java Symposium last week, two major Java-oriented events, the mantra seemed to be about how to make Java more like Ruby on Rails.

Indeed, due to the complexity of Java and the Java Enterprise Edition platform, several Java development framework projects sprang up to provide Java developers with lighter-weight, simpler-to-use options, including RIFE, Seam, Spring, Tapestry and Trails, among others… Source: eWeek

Tags: ruby on rails, java developers, eclipsecon, theserverside java symposium