Hi Kalyan,
Java started out as a simple language (especially in comparison to then prominent C++). Overtime, like any language,
a number of features were added to the language. While some of these features were very beneficial, quite a number
of features unfortunately, made the language quite complex. The cost vs. benefit of these features is quite questionable.
You ask why Java can't support similar syntax? The syntax is only part of the concern. What makes a language interesting
is not only its syntax, but its idiom—the way someone familiar with the language programs in it. It is very hard to change
the syntax (as it greatly increases the complexity of the compiler and the language itself) and even more to change the
language idiom.
Your last question is about teams with experienced Java developers. The good news is, the Java platform has been
steadily becoming stronger. Today, the real strength is in the platform. As a Java programmer, you expect quite a bit
from the JVM, you know the Java language syntax, and also you know quite a bit of the Java library. Languages like
Groovy and Scala run on the same JVM, and they mostly use and extend the same library. So, as a developer with
strong experience, you are not starting at ground zero. You bring quite a bit of what you know along. You then learn
to do things a bit differently. This is the idiomatic difference. So, for a well experienced Java programmer who is
*willing to learn and benefit* from the new languages, I would say the learning curve is really not steep. Furthermore,
I hope you would agree, as professionals, it is our responsibility to continue to learn and get better at what we do.
If you can show to yourself first, and to your team next, that you can be much more productive with these new languages,
then it becomes easier to invest the needed time and effort to learn these new languages.
Develop prototypes in these new languages. Use these languages to write
unit tests on your Java code. Experiment with it.
Use it for small projects. Once you get familiar with these, it becomes easier to see places where they can help your project
significantly.