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Alex Miller: Apparently Mark Reinhold announced that closures would be added to JDK 7 at Devoxx today:

I am, well, surprised. Having commented on closures in Java somewhat verbosely in the past, I don't have any words left in me about this topic, except "whatever!"

I'll believe it when I see it. Remember, they promised XML literals for Java 7, and I'm still bitter that they dropped it. :(

Coincidentally, Neal Gafter, of Microsoft dotNet platform languages group, posted a simplified proposal for Closures for Java (v0.6a).

For those who don't follow my blog, my position has always been:

• Not adding closure to Java will kill Java
• The death (or the absence of evolution) of Java the language will render the JVM the platform anemic
• An anemic JVM platform will suffocate parasitic JVM languages like Scala and Groovy while at the same time decrease its attractiveness as an alternative implementation platform for other scripting languages (JRuby, Jython, etc.)

So, it's a Good Thing^™.

[Update] I consulted the I Ching, the ancient Chinese Oracle, on the meaning of this matter, and received the following gua:

I Ching (ca. 900 B.C.): 否（坤下乾上）
《否》：否之匪人，不利君子贞，大往小来。
初六，拔茅茹以其汇。贞吉，亨。
六二，包承，小人吉，大人否。亨。
六三，包羞。
九四，有命，无咎，畴离祉。
九五，休否，大人吉。其亡其亡，系于苞桑。
上九，倾否，先否后喜。