possible Java contract, what alternatives to suggest?
spitfire: Ada. It's what Java should have been to begin with.
Strictly typed, safety minded OOP programming language with modern features like generics and tasking (in 1983 no less).
It's designed to handle large projects over a long lifespan - millions LOC over decades.The F-16, F-15, F22, any boeing/airbus aircraft and most rail systems are developed in it. As are financial systems, medical equipment, etc. It's the strong silent type of programming language you don't hear about it much because it just works.And there's a JVM target for it.EDIT: You might wonder why I mentioned all the safety critical stuff - Because safety is synonymous with reliability and maintainability. With Ada I find things are at times quite boring - things just get done without problems. This sort of thing tends to appeal to more mature developers.