Gosu or Java - which to Use?

Gosu or Java - which to Use?

Josh Hooks

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Even if you are a technology junkie like me, it’s difficult to keep up with all of the languages written for the Java Virtual Machine. If a few weeks pass and you haven’t heard of a new one, you probably aren’t paying attention (I just came across Loop the other day).

One of the most frequent questions we hear from our customers' technology architects is whether or not to consider using Gosu to write their integration code. Like many experienced techies they have seen their fair share of hype about the Next Big Thing, and they wonder if Gosu is worth their time compared to Java.

As someone who has spent his career either working with Java or Gosu, here is my best elevator pitch for why to use Gosu:

  • Gosu can provide dynamic reloading capabilities not available with standard Java (thanks to the DCEVM.)

  • Gosu provides seamless integration with the Guidewire platform, including the user interface, data model and business logic.

  • Gosu’s syntax will allow you to write fewer lines of code to accomplish the same task.

  • Guidewire has found that developers of all experience levels who have worked with Java or C# can learn Gosu very quickly.

  • Gosu (and its predecessor GScript) have been proven in production at dozens of Guidewire customers for years now.

The bottom line is that although you can mix and match as much Java and Gosu as you want, the majority of our customer base chooses Gosu and never looks back.

You can read more about the technical features of Gosu on our Guidewire Development Blog.

There is also a great Gosu language website where you can download it.

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