The name ‘Ballerina’, which is the programming language that has just been introduced by the WSO2 open source application development company, may not sound familiar to you. But rest assured, it will very soon. San Francisco, and specifically WSO2Con USA 2017, was the scenery that was chosen to advertise its features and everything that will change with its development, which goes all-in on integration. Whether you have heard of Ballerina or you want to know more about it, we offer you a few reasons for you to discover why you should start using the new WSO2 language.
What is Ballerina? The new language of WSO2 for system integration
Because it is accessible for everyone
Minimal usage knowledge is enough to use Ballerina, unlike complex programming languages that could only be used by experts specialised in them. Therefore, lack of experience with the programming language is not an obstacle for those who, nonetheless, do have the skills to get the most out of it, even if it is the first time they use it.
Because it has an eye-catching design
The idea behind the design of Ballerina is for everyone to be able to use it and understand it. Which is why it is based on a visual representation that can be comprehended by everyone. If there is anything that anyone can understand (which means all types of employees with different roles inside the company), that is the language of images.
Ballerina stands out due to its simple visual representations. Sequence diagrams create the integration code as they are generated. One of the advantages resulting from this design is that it facilitates explanations when using Ballerina in front of a large group.
Because it takes integration one step further
People in charge of programming and those in charge of architecture will never have difficulties understanding each other again. Ballerina offers an integrated programming language, with the best of code and the best of the use of diagrams. But integration will not only let you work better, but it will also create synergies and shorten deadlines. Which translates into a higher efficiency and cost reductions.
Because it is highly flexible
The number of users adding to its code base is ever-growing. This is because Ballerina makes it easy to take advantage of the functionality of other programs due to its application programming interface. You can use plug-ins coded in Ballerina within IDEA, Vim or IntelliJ, among others. Furthermore, with this new language it is possible to crate several integrations using sequence diagrams as a basis. The code can be written both in Swagger and in Ballerina itself.
Because it is under constant improving
Ballerina has been introduced as a product, but it is also an ongoing project. WSO2 has already announced that it is working on a series of improvements that will be gradually deployed. The goal is to optimise, for example, the speed and stability of the language, and the representation referred to above. Ballerina is capable of almost anything, but you have to keep in mind it has been designed for the full integration of applications, data and services.
Do you want to learn how Ballerina can help you? Contact our team!
