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by Touche 3625 days ago
Dart was only created to be faster than JavaScript. Here's the leaked memo about why it was created: https://gist.github.com/paulmillr/1208618

tldr; JavaScript has "baggage" and can't be made any faster than it currently is, need a different VM + language with types.

Btw, the Dart creators are compiler engineers, not language designers. It explains a bit about why it has failed to catch on.
3 comments
themihai 3625 days ago
I think this[0] summarises the main objective of Dart. Having said that I fail to see how it succeeded. Maybe it helped JavaScript evolve a bit but IOS development experience and performance is still vastly superior to Dart/JavaScript/Web.

[0] `The emergence of compelling alternative platforms like iOS has meant that the web platform must compete on its merits, not just its reach. Javascript as it exists today will likely not be a viable solution long-term. `

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kaendfinger 3625 days ago
Lars Bak made V8, and both Kasper Lund and Lars Bak contributed the HotSpot VM. And if you don't consider Gilad Bracha (Who works on the Dart Language Specification) to be a language designer, you probably don't have a clue what he has done.
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danellis 3625 days ago
> not language designers

They designed a language. Is there some other qualification for being a language designer?

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