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I’m a fellow generics pessimist. Having come to Go from Java some 6 years ago I initially found the lack of generics a curious, sometimes frustrating omission.
by bww 8y ago
I’m a fellow generics pessimist. Having come to Go from Java some 6 years ago I initially found the lack of generics a curious, sometimes frustrating omission.
After years of using Go daily and reading a long succession of posts on the go-nuts mailing list wherein Rob Pike, et al, repeatedly and staunchly defended the lack of generics as necessary – even beneficial – in the pursuit of designing a small, readable, coherent language, I’ve since come to believe that decision was entirely correct.
Perhaps nobody technically promised there would never be generics in Go’s future, but it’s undeniable that they run contrary to those stated design goals. As currently proposed, they will add considerable complexity to the language in exchange for questionable benefit.
I’m not sure the world needs another kitchen-sink language that eschews clarity for the unrestrained addition of features. If you want that, there are already plenty of options for you.
- everybodyknows 8y agoSpeaking of Rob Pike, don't see his name on any of the Go2 proposals. His lucidity and circumspection are sorely missed. Could we be witnessing the psychological phenomenon of a "second-system effect" -- as described in The Mythical Man-Month -- writ very large?
- ainar-g 8y agoThe only person from the original three creators who still actively takes part in the language's evolution seems to be Robert Griesemer. Ken Thompson is retired, and Rob Pike seems to have moved to other projects (Upspin?). Robert Griesemer is still active, but mostly "debugging" the language specification. The impression I get is that Russ Cox is pretty much the Chief Designer right now (pardon the Sergey Korolyov reference). The original three authors have said that they would not add a feature to the language if one of them opposed it, which is how they kept it simple. I wonder if rsc has anyone to say "no" to him.