Groovy

Groovy is an object-oriented programming language for the Java Platform as an alternative to the Java programming language. It can be viewed as a scripting language for the Java Platform, as it has features similar to those of Python, Ruby, Perl, and Smalltalk. In some contexts, the name JSR 241 is used as an alternate identifier for the Groovy language.

Groovy ...

• is an agile and dynamic language for the Java Virtual Machine
• builds upon the strengths of Java but has additional power features inspired by languages like Python, Ruby and Smalltalk
• makes modern programming features available to Java developers with almost-zero learning curve
• supports Domain Specific Languages and other compact syntax so your code becomes easy to read and maintain
• makes writing shell and build scripts easy with its powerful processing primitives, OO abilities and an Ant DSL
• increases developer productivity by reducing scaffolding code when developing web, GUI, database or console applications
• simplifies testing by supporting unit testing and mocking out-of-the-box
• seamlessly integrates with all existing Java objects and libraries
• compiles straight to Java bytecode so you can use it anywhere you can use Java

Useful Groovy links:

• Official site
• Wikipedia
• Groovy articles
• JSR 241
• Code Snippet Repository