:) My apologies. (I really need to work on not seeing all responses as
rebuttals.)



On Aug 9, 9:25 am, Viktor Klang <viktor.kl...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Oh, sorry, I wasn't bashing your point, I was agreeing!
>
>
>
> On Mon, Aug 9, 2010 at 2:43 PM, Josh Berry <tae...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > You twisted my point.  My point is that you can make code that reads
> > more like the domain you are modeling.  Consider, if you are trying to
> > implement an algorithm for processing data that is in a matrix.  Which
> > do you find more readable, one that can look very similar to the paper
> > from which you acquired the algorithm, or the one that you had to
> > first translate to java land?
>
> > The valid counter to operator overloading is that it can be misused.
> > But, you counter that in your second paragraph.   So... what are the
> > complaints of this style of programming?
>
> > On Aug 9, 3:07 am, Viktor Klang <viktor.kl...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > I find it rather amusing that people argue that being able to create
> > methods
> > > that are familiar symbols (+,-,* etc) leads to code that is hard to
> > > understand. This is a false statement.
>
> > > ANY word/symbol can be defined to work in a way that is not intuitive, it
> > > doesn't matter if we call a method "plus" or "+" if it's not doing
> > addition,
> > > it'll be confusing anyway.
>
> > > On Sun, Aug 8, 2010 at 5:35 PM, Josh Berry <tae...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > It seems that the thing that is "off" in all of this discussion is
> > > > that we are trying to determine which is more complex between the
> > > > languages, when what we really care about are the programs written in
> > > > those languages.
>
> > > > To that end, I really just want to simply point to something like
> > > > scalatest or squeryl to get an idea of the simplicity of some of the
> > > > client code that can be written against Scala.
>
> > > > Take your example, though, "5 + 2."  This works for simple numbers,
> > > > but what about the fun of matrix math?  Or complex numbers math?  Both
> > > > of which would undoubtedly look nicer --- one might say simpler ---
> > > > using the familiar symbols for addition, but this can not be done in
> > > > Java.   Now, I would agree that this is a complexity of the language,
> > > > but it is a simplification in the program.
>
> > > > On Aug 7, 6:32 pm, Reinier Zwitserloot <reini...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > > How's that a case for simplicity for scala?
>
> > > > > In java, "5 + 2" means just what you think it means, intuitively. If
> > > > > you want to know more still you'll have delve into the extensive JLS
> > > > > which confirms your suspicions.
>
> > > > > In scala you need to delve into the libraries, and you really have no
> > > > > idea what it could possibly do - every object can field its own
> > > > > definition of '+'. This isn't simple anymore; the drive to libraryize
> > > > > all complexity means that most seemingly atomic library operations
> > are
> > > > > in fact not the lowest layer, but they build on a lower layer still,
> > > > > and in languages like scala, that lowest of layers is not all that
> > > > > natural.
>
> > > > > I continue to assert that claiming scala is simpler because the JLS
> > is
> > > > > longer than the scala equivalent is the stupidest thing I've ever
> > > > > heard.
>
> > > > > On Aug 6, 10:59 am, Kevin Wright <kev.lee.wri...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > > > > The idea that we can establish some sort of formal complexity
> > > > measurement
> > > > > > for documentation is... interesting.
> > > > > > Although I think there's more joy to be had in measuring EBNF, or
> > the
> > > > size
> > > > > > of some other parser grammar considered complete for the language.
>
> > > > > > I'd also like to briefly explore one of the differences between the
> > two
> > > > > > language specs... Consider the `+` operator.
>
> > > > > > In the JLS, this is covered in chapter 15, "expressions"
> > > > > > 15.18 - additive operators
> > > > > > 15.18.1 - string concatenation
> > > > > > 15.18.1.1 - string conversion
> > > > > > 15.18.1.2 - optimization of string concatenation
> > > > > > 15.18.1.3 - examples of string concatenation
> > > > > > 15.18.2 - additive operators for numeric types
> > > > > > Spanning pages 496-501
>
> > > > > > It's a bit different in Scala, which doesn't have operators as
> > quite
> > > > the
> > > > > > same way.  They're just methods in infix/operator notation.
>
> > > > > > Everything in Scala is also an object (no primitives).  Int, Float,
> > > > String
> > > > > > etc. are still optimised in the compiler, and will often use
> > primitives
> > > > in
> > > > > > the generated bytecode, but within Scala code they are objects.  So
> > `+`
> > > > > > becomes a method on the String/Int/Float/etc. object.  The Scala
> > spec
> > > > > > doesn't list API methods any more than the JLS does.
>
> > > > > > What the spec *does* have is section 6.12.3, outlining how methods
> > used
> > > > in
> > > > > > the infix position have a precedence determined by the first
> > character
> > > > of
> > > > > > the operator name.  One beauty of thie approach is that it
> > effectively
> > > > gives
> > > > > > you operator overloading, allowing things like this:
> > > >http://www.scala-lang.org/api/current/scala/math/BigDecimal.html
>
> > > > > > This is sufficient to be able to duplicate Java's behaviour, by
> > > > building up
> > > > > > to it on the basis of a broader (and simpler) concept.
>
> > > > > > So "x" + 2  May look the same as Java, but it's actually achieved
> > via
> > > > the
> > > > > > `+` method on a String instance, and not a dedicated special-case
> > > > operator
> > > > > > with 3 sections in the language spec.
>
> > > > > > On 6 August 2010 00:38, JodaStephen <scolebou...@joda.org> wrote:
>
> > > > > > > Kevin Wright is fond of repeating:
> > > > > > > Java (3rd Edition): 649 pages, 7932 KB
> > > > > > > Scala (current in trunk): 191 pages, 1312 KB
> > > > > > > therefore Scala is less complex.
>
> > > > > > > But has anyone actually analysed the specs in detail?
>
> > > > > > > In code coverage terms, how many distinct "code paths" are there
> > in
> > > > > > > each spec. That is surely a far better measure than number of
> > pages.
>
> > > > > > > Volunteers for counting?!!
>
> > > > > > > Stephen
>
> > > > > > > --
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> > > > > > --
> > > > > > Kevin Wright
>
> > > > > > mail/google talk: kev.lee.wri...@gmail.com
> > > > > > wave: kev.lee.wri...@googlewave.com
> > > > > > skype: kev.lee.wright
> > > > > > twitter: @thecoda
>
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> > > --
> > > Viktor Klang,
> > > Code Connoisseur
> > > Work:  www.akkasource.com
> > > Code:   github.com/viktorklang
> > > Follow: twitter.com/viktorklang
> > > Read:   klangism.tumbler.com
>
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> --
> Viktor Klang,
> Code Connoisseur
> Work:  www.akkasource.com
> Code:   github.com/viktorklang
> Follow: twitter.com/viktorklang
> Read:   klangism.tumbler.com

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