Xtend (xtend-lang.org) is a statically-typed programming language developed at Eclipse.org. It has a strong focus on leveraging all the good parts of Java, including seamless integration with the huge amount of Java frameworks and libraries out there. Experienced Java developers can get started with Xtend in almost no time, since everything is so familiar. The editor integrates tightly with Eclipse’s Java tooling to ensure a seamless integration in the IDE as well. If you know how the Java tools work, you will feel at home with Xtend’s UI. The good parts of Java make for a great basis, but Xtend is all about extending that. For instance, you can now simply discard all that boilerplate you are used to generating using your IDE. Reasonable defaults, type inference, and some other powerful features can make code surprisingly readable. Closures and operator overloading are fun things to have as well. With Xtend you can use such beyond-Java features without learning a whole new language. Xtend is not meant to be a replacement for Java but serves more as an add-on. When working with Xtend you still write the interfaces, enums, and annotations in Java. There’s little value in changing the syntax of these concepts, as they are already very compact, well-known, and tooling-wise nicely supported. The added value with Xtend is the very concise way to implement Java classes. And if you feel like shifting some bits around, you can always go back to Java. The two languages integrate seamlessly in both directions.
