Re: Static vs. Dynamic typing (big advantage or not)---WAS: c.programming: OOP and memory management

From: Nick Landsberg (SPAMhukolauTRAP_at_SPAMworldnetTRAP.att.net)
Date: 08/21/04 

Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2004 00:39:52 GMT

Thomas G. Marshall wrote:

> Christopher Barber <cbarber@curl.com> coughed up the following:
>
>>"Thomas G. Marshall"
>><tgm2tothe10thpower@replacetextwithnumber.hotmail.com> writes:
>>
>>
>>>Gerry Quinn <gerryq@DELETETHISindigo.ie> coughed up the following:
>>>
>>>>In article <Xns954A5F10B6D1obrickermydejanewsco@216.196.97.136>,
>>>>obricker@my-dejanews.com says...
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>It does seem to me that the opinions of folks that have done both
>>>>>are
>>>>>the only relevant once when it come down to it. So even if 99%
>>>>>started with a static language, if 98% never really tried a dynamic
>>>>>one, their not changing doesn't factor into it at the same level.
>>>>>We
>>>>>need an informed vote.
>>>>>
>>>>>Why the big argument on this anyway? Do you not think that the
>>>>>opinions of those who switched is a rather important source of
>>>>>inmormation in this discussion?
>>>>
>>>>My argument was not with that, but with the notion that the value of
>>>>each approach could simply be estimated from the proportion who
>>>>switch.
>>>>

[ Much snippage about religion and such ]

>>
>>His logic is fine. The point is that when you are making a
>>statistical
>>argument about people's preferences you need to take the relative
>>sample sizes into account. Your 'dead' analogy is bogus.
>
>
> He says *nothing* about the relative sample sizes, he just doesn't believe
> that the value of each approach could simply be estimated from the
> proportion who switch. He not complaining about the relative sample size at
> all---he's complaining (justifiably) whether or not the /proportion/ of
> switchers to non-switchers is valid to indicate anything. It's just that
> his example, while chosen to show that such proportions often don't stand up
> to explaining anything (which I agree with), was an analogy far too far from
> choosing a language.
>
> Your counter[-counter] statement here is bogus.
>

This subthread makes the supposition that folks have
the *opportunity* to switch.

In fairly large programming shops there is usually
a "culture" of only a small handful of languages
being used (~3). Typically, developers assigned to
a single project all use the same language for
that project. For arguments sake, let's say there
may be 20 developers on a project, writing code
which has to interface with all the other developers
code. In that environment, it believe it would be
rather impractical (if not downright impossible)
for Jane or Joe Developer to decide to write a
module in some other language, no matter how good
the technical reasons were for doing so.

The resistance from managementcritters would be
too great.

So, maybe this whole question of "how many people
have switched" is a red herring?

NPL 

-- 
"It is impossible to make anything foolproof
because fools are so ingenious"
  - A. Bloch

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