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Jcon: A Java-Based Icon Implementation

Jcon is a Java-based implementation of the Icon programming language. The Jcon translator, written in Icon, generates Java class files that execute in conjunction with a run-time system written in Java.

Version 2 of Jcon is an essentially complete implementation of Icon, including graphics and large integers. A few minor features are missing -- mostly things like chdir() that cannot be done in Java.

The performance of Version 2 is considerably improved over Version 1, although it still isn't as fast as the standard Icon interpreter.

System Requirements
  • Jcon runs on UNIX systems and uses the Korn shell (/bin/ksh)
  • Jcon also requires Icon 9.3 and Java 1.1 (or newer versions)
Jcon Software
  • Jcon is distributed in source form
  • The current version is 2.1 (September 10, 1999)
  • Download 700 KB gzipped tar file: by HTTP, by FTP
Program Library
  • Many Icon programs link program library procedures
  • Prebuilt binaries are available (last updated November 14, 2005)
  • Download 4.4 MB gzipped tar file: by HTTP, by FTP
Documentation

Techical report: A New Implementation of the Icon Language (PostScript, PDF) discusses the design of Jcon.

Java Virtual Machine tests: We have found that the Jcon test suite poses a challenge to some Java implementations, especially those using Just-in-Time (JIT) compilers. Accordingly, we have bundled up a self-contained test collection that can be used directly without building Jcon. It is a 1.4 MB gzipped tar file; download by HTTP, by FTP.

Jcon was designed and implemented by Todd Proebsting and Gregg Townsend with contributions from Denise Todd and Bob Alexander.

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