Java virtual machine as target language for C/C++

I know that Java does not support pointer arithmetic.


But as the Java virtual machine gets integrated in many OSes it would
be nice to use it as a target language for other languages.


Is it possible (and will Sun allow it) to extend the JVM to support
pointer arithmetic.


Some notes:
- Not every application is required to be secure
(You could trust your own programs, just as you have to
trust your web browser :)


- Most pointer arithmetic can just as well be bounds checked:
just as you can say that
for an array a[100] a[i] is only valid if 0 <= i && i < 100


For a pointer you can define a low address and a high addres
and test after each operation on the pointer if it still lies
between these bounds or is NULL (and may not be dereferenced)


Does anyone know if proposals for such extensions have been made/
are considered.


Rinie
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