Definition

Groovy Programming Language shares a number of features with Ruby, Python, Smalltalk, and Perl. It is a dynamic computer programming language and can be used in Java Platform as a scripting programming language.

The language is compiled to the bytecode of Java Virtual Machine (JVM) in a dynamic manner. As a result, it can effectively interoperate with other libraries and codes of Java.  The curly bracket syntax used by Groovy is similar to that of Java.

History of Groovy

In the year 2003, the formal talks in relation to the development of Groovy were initiated by James Strachan on his blog. After this formal declaration, a range of versions of the language were announced between the years 2004 and 2006. The numbering of the versions changed after the year 2006.

The version numbered 1.0 was released in the year 2007, after the initiation of the standardization process of the Java Community Process (JCP). This was followed by the introduction of a number of prototypes of version 1.1. Ultimately on 7th of December the release of a final version of Groovy 1.1 was made. A number of changes were made in this version and it was immediately reintroduced as Groovy 1.5.

In 2007 JAX 2007 innovation award awarded Groovy with the first price. Grails, which is a web framework for Groovy, attained the second prize at JAX 2008 innovation award in the year 2008. Immediately after these achievements a couple of changes occurred in the ownership of Groovy. In the same year Groovy and Grails company (G2One) was acquired by SpringSource. This was accompanied by the acquisition of SpringSource by VMware in 2009.

On 2nd of July 2012, the version 2.0 of Groovy introduced publically. Apart from adding various new features to the language, this version included the striking features static type checker and static complier to Groovy.

The development of an important joint venture, which was Pivota, was made between EMC and VMware in April 2013. This joint venture had Groovy and Grails as an important part of its product portfolio. However, in April 2015, Pivotal took the decision of ceasing the sponsorships made to Groovy and Grails.

During the same month, Groovy made an evident change in its own governance structure. The governance structure was shifted from being a Codehaus repository to a dynamic Project Management Committee (PMC) within the Apache Software Foundation through its incubator.

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