Hi John, Do the difficulties of a functional approach apply to almost any database-type application, or is it more the issues with error handling in 4D?
Are there other circumstances where a functional approach works well, or is it simply an ideal? Do object-oriented languages (Python/Java/Apex?) work better in this regard, or is language unrelated to functional programming? Thanks (also to Chuck) for replying, Don > >> On Dec 21, 2017, at 3:06 PM, Don Lapin via 4D_Tech <4d_tech@lists. >4d.com> wrote: >> >> 4D does not seem to lend itself to the functional approach. > >Completely true. Changing the database is non-functional. You could try >to enforce this discipline, but I think it would be difficult to get >real work done in 4D. Even if you never passed a pointer or used a >process/interprocess variable, a method might have side effects if it >changes the database or modifies an object parameter. Error handling in >4D is incredibly primitive compared to other languages and the only way >to get error information is via side effects. > > >> >> When designing something new, do you give any thought to using one or >the other approach? Do you force yourself to only return values to a >calling method? Or do these paradigms represent a distinction of no >practical significance? > > >I think making every method functional with minimal side effects is a >good goal. But I don't think it is possible to write understandable and >maintainable 4D code using a purely functional approach. > >John DeSoi, Ph.D. > >********************************************************************** >4D Internet Users Group (4D iNUG) >FAQ: http://lists.4d.com/faqnug.html >Archive: http://lists.4d.com/archives.html >Options: http://lists.4d.com/mailman/options/4d_tech >Unsub: mailto:[email protected] >********************************************************************** ********************************************************************** 4D Internet Users Group (4D iNUG) FAQ: http://lists.4d.com/faqnug.html Archive: http://lists.4d.com/archives.html Options: http://lists.4d.com/mailman/options/4d_tech Unsub: mailto:[email protected] **********************************************************************
