3 ms·

The way I think about languages is that one must in their programming journey go toward greater type safety. If the journey begins with JS/Python, it must go to

The way I think about languages is that one must in their programming journey go toward greater type safety. If the journey begins with JS/Python, it must go to TS/Go, then Rust, then Haskell, and finally Idris. Type safety is exceedingly and especially important in a shared code development where one is not the only developer.

whytevuhuni 2y ago
But one also has to live and work among newbies, so there is a constant pull in the other direction towards simplicity, otherwise productivity grinds to a halt. What exactly ends up being the most pragmatic language that strikes the best balance is likely never going to be decided.
- johnnyanmac 2y ago
  If companies get their way, there won't be "career newbies". Students will spend years developing a portfolio for free to prove they can out-efficiency an LLM. Which of course will suppress the industry as Tech is no longer this fast path to riches (the actual wage suppression doesn't help either).
paiute 2y ago
Which is why everything ends up as json in the end.
wakawaka28 2y ago
Type safety is helpful but it can be excessive. I feel like a lot of stuff in Haskell is like that, and probably even in Rust. Everyone has a finite amount of time and energy to spend writing (and compiling!) increasingly complex specifications.
- solarkraft 2y ago
  This is why I'm so bullish on Typescript. The type system is so good and expressive that you want to use it, but it doesn't keep you from using interfaces and methods because some complicated vendored type can't be satisfied.
  - OutOfHere 2y ago
    That's all the excuse a teammate needs to never satisfy any type constraints.
  - wakawaka28 2y ago
    I'm pretty satisfied with the amount of type checking in C++ and Java. You can go crazy with it but the people who write those languages usually have the good taste to not go overboard with complex type tricks.

whytevuhuni 2y ago

But one also has to live and work among newbies, so there is a constant pull in the other direction towards simplicity, otherwise productivity grinds to a halt. What exactly ends up being the most pragmatic language that strikes the best balance is likely never going to be decided.

johnnyanmac 2y ago
If companies get their way, there won't be "career newbies". Students will spend years developing a portfolio for free to prove they can out-efficiency an LLM. Which of course will suppress the industry as Tech is no longer this fast path to riches (the actual wage suppression doesn't help either).

paiute 2y ago

Which is why everything ends up as json in the end.

wakawaka28 2y ago

Type safety is helpful but it can be excessive. I feel like a lot of stuff in Haskell is like that, and probably even in Rust. Everyone has a finite amount of time and energy to spend writing (and compiling!) increasingly complex specifications.

solarkraft 2y ago
This is why I'm so bullish on Typescript. The type system is so good and expressive that you want to use it, but it doesn't keep you from using interfaces and methods because some complicated vendored type can't be satisfied.
- OutOfHere 2y ago
  That's all the excuse a teammate needs to never satisfy any type constraints.
- wakawaka28 2y ago
  I'm pretty satisfied with the amount of type checking in C++ and Java. You can go crazy with it but the people who write those languages usually have the good taste to not go overboard with complex type tricks.