The flood of new languages for the Java platform shows no signs of slowing down over the next few years. At the same time, the Java language continues to evolve, though not always in the "obvious" direction and not always with the same goals as newly designed languages. This talk will discuss such questions as: What challenges do the designers of Java-like and non-Java-like languages face when targeting the Java platform? How do these challenges affect programmers working in multiple JVM languages? How do language implementers best affect change in the Java platform?

Keywords: Java, Virtual Machines, Programming Languages, Dynamic Languages, Performance

Target Audience: Any programmer interested in how language takes best advantage of platforms, and how platforms evolve to support new languages, will find something of interest in this talk.