Re: Static/Dynamic typing, lessons from the field

Hmm, don't know what to think about this article.
The author says:
"They artifically limit your expressiveness."

And his justification is an example:

"In Java, for instance, the type system doesn't let you do operator
overloading, multiple inheritance, mix-ins, reference parameters, or
first-class functions. Any time the most natural design involves these
things, you're stuck trying to mutate it into a design that fits Java's
type system."

But what does static typing have to do with Javas non-existing support
for the points he mentioned (operator overloading, mult. inh., etc.)?
The Java designers did intentionally *not* putting them into the
language. From Suns point of view that might be a good thing cause Java
is now pretty much the most popular programming language.
The author got that point plain wrong.

Later he says: "Dynamic languages give you more expressive power and
more design options;" but does not explain this point. It sounds like
an opinion and therefor is not much more worth than the opinion "Static
languages give you more expressive power and more design options;".
And I personally would like to know what a static language or a dynamic
language is. Probably he wanted to say "statically typed language".
Making this kind of mistake tells me that he is probably not an expert
on this issue, and so I should not take his conclusions too serious.


André
--

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