[erlang-questions] JavaScript compiler for Erlang

[Jeff Rogers]

Joel Reymont wrote:
> This is the reason I asked.
> 
> Think scalable web development for the masses.
> 
> In Javascript.
> 
> On top of Erlang.

Not meaning to discourage any effort here - a JS implementation in 
erlang might be an interesting project and have some uses, and as others 
have pointed out implementing languages is fun - the goal of "... for 
the masses" is misguided.  Syntax isn't the problem - if it was, we'd 
all be programming in COBOL.  Sure, erlang syntax is a little different, 
but its the programming philosophy that is alot different, and putting a 
javascript face on that isn't going to make it any more accessible. 
Unless you're going to be able to accurately translate idiomatic 
javascript into idiomatic erlang you're going to have an erlang program 
that uses a single process with no message passing, no exception 
handling, no matching, etc., and then it really isn't erlang anymore.

-J