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> Static typing does not live up to its promises. If it did live up to its promises, we would all use it, and the fact that we don’t all use it suggests how oft
by icholy 8y ago
> Static typing does not live up to its promises. If it did live up to its promises, we would all use it, and the fact that we don’t all use it suggests how often it fails.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argumentum_ad_populum https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argumentum_ad_populum
- CogitoCogito 8y agoWhat a bizarre argument. You could replace "static" with "dynamic" and you would have an equivalent argument that would just as strongly (i.e., in fact, weakly) argue against dynamic typing. This logical hole is obvious enough to drive a bus through. I don't understand how the author wouldn't have noticed it.
- fdgionionoi 8y agoThe logical hole is not obvious. If it were obvious, we would all notice it, and the fact that the author didn't notice it suggests it's not obvious.
- Varcht 8y agoI guess this is what happens when everyone gets a trophy.
- agildehaus 8y agoThere's a joke about not checking his types in here somewhere.
- notus 8y agoThe whole article is full of those. The best part is that the author tried calling out other fallacies in the article.
- tabtab 8y agoPHP, Python, and Perl are commonly used. It does take more discipline to avoid the downsides of dynamic. Static languages better protect you from Monday morning fopas, but one can develop faster and farther in dynamic when firing on all cylinders.
- mattnewport 8y ago> Monday morning fopas One benefit of static typing is that it's like a spell checker. It can't catch all errors but there's a whole class of errors it prevents you from making.
- tabtab 8y agoUsing that analogy, it could also be compared to a forced spell-checker such that you cannot submit your document at all unless every word passes the spell-check. Some words are not in the dictionary; you may need invented or new words at times. I always wanted something that's in-between both: an "analyzer" that warns you of oddities, but doesn't prevent running the program. You could put indicators to stop notices about things you know will be otherwise flagged.
- mattnewport 8y ago> Some words are not in the dictionary Indeed. Like fopas.
- tabtab 8y agoDepends how you define "dictionary". See below.
- jvzr 8y ago> fopas Did you mean "faux pas", or it is something I didn't know?
- tabtab 8y agoI always thought "faux pas" was the "old school" way of spelling it, similar to "neighbour" versus "neighbor". Spell-checkers usually accept "fopas". Hmmm, interesting linguistic mystery.
- mattnewport 8y ago