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The devil is in the details: the capitalize example will badly fail on an empty string right? (substring will throw a StringIndexOutOfBoundsException). So we g

The devil is in the details: the capitalize example will badly fail on an empty string right? (substring will throw a StringIndexOutOfBoundsException). So we guarantee you you'll get a String back. And hear this: we also guarantee you, 100%, it's going to be non null. And we guarantee you that the reference to that non null String is going to be immutable. Oh but wait: maybe you'll get a RuntimeException instead...

CrimsonRain 4y ago
Can just return "" in that case? I think you are focusing on the wrong details of an _example_. The details here is being able to extend and function chaining; not the algorithm of capitalize().
- TacticalCoder 4y ago
  Oh I didn't explain myself correctly. I've got nothing against the example in the blog post. What I mean is that no matter if Java or Kotlin makes guarantees about null safety, invariability and the type of the object returned, in the end you still have to deal with the glorified GOTO statements that exceptions are.
  - CrimsonRain 4y ago
    I like Java but being able to tell at compile time that don't allow null on something no matter what, gives you a lot of advantage (and some disadvantage if you design wrong). Exceptions are not necessary in this case as null safety can not be isolated (unless you choose it). It is either everywhere or nowhere or you force an arbitrary line by telling something not-nullable when it can be (not a good idea). A good example is the state Dart is in right now. Almost everything has been transformed to null-safety including most of the community packages and it works really nicely.
  - kaba0 4y ago
    They are the same thing as returning a sum type, just your goto hides in an if statement in that case you explicitly have to write out one way or another.
kaba0 4y ago
And it will happen in Haskell as well with `head “”`, even though it is a pure language. Your point?

CrimsonRain 4y ago

Can just return "" in that case? I think you are focusing on the wrong details of an _example_. The details here is being able to extend and function chaining; not the algorithm of capitalize().

TacticalCoder 4y ago
Oh I didn't explain myself correctly. I've got nothing against the example in the blog post. What I mean is that no matter if Java or Kotlin makes guarantees about null safety, invariability and the type of the object returned, in the end you still have to deal with the glorified GOTO statements that exceptions are.
- CrimsonRain 4y ago
  I like Java but being able to tell at compile time that don't allow null on something no matter what, gives you a lot of advantage (and some disadvantage if you design wrong). Exceptions are not necessary in this case as null safety can not be isolated (unless you choose it). It is either everywhere or nowhere or you force an arbitrary line by telling something not-nullable when it can be (not a good idea). A good example is the state Dart is in right now. Almost everything has been transformed to null-safety including most of the community packages and it works really nicely.
- kaba0 4y ago
  They are the same thing as returning a sum type, just your goto hides in an if statement in that case you explicitly have to write out one way or another.

kaba0 4y ago

And it will happen in Haskell as well with `head “”`, even though it is a pure language. Your point?