On Aug 27, 4:07 am, Reinier Zwitserloot <[email protected]> wrote: > If this is your interpretation of what "programming language" means, > then my argument becomes quite a bit simpler: > > No programming language has ever become popular because of its > featureset. They lucked into it based on the features of platforms > which peddle that language as preferred language.
You could probably go further and say that they lucked into it by having a really successful implementation carry them forward first. This doesn't do any good for this conversation, though. (Unless you think you can argue that you know what they next "from luck" successful language will look like.) So... I'm fine dropping the "next successful" language debate. I had not actually intended on being a part of it, as I think it is a bad argument to be in. Who cares which is the next fully successful language? My concern is which language can I be more productive in. > Your further music analogy made absolutely no sense to me. I got rushed on the music analogy. Should have held off on posting. My point is that I am in line with everyone else that says something to the effect of "scala has made me a better programmer." Yes, there are some "language" tricks that crop up. But, more than not, I have simply been exposed to other ways of doing things. Most often, I have been shown a generalization of something I had been stabbing at myself for some time. Usually I can bring these techniques back with me into the land of Java. Sometimes, I can not. It is akin to learning some fundamental ideas of music, as best as I can relate it. Sure, you don't need to know scales and such to play the guitar (or any instrument), but for many many people it will help. Further, if you are trying to communicate to someone else such that they can adapt something you did, learning the core concepts helps a ton. (This feeds in to my other rant, that it seems we programmers try to share implementations, not ideas. Seemingly because we think they are one and the same.) It seems that many people defend Java, not because they actually like it better, but because they are content "playing by feel and imitation." (And I don't mean this as an insult. There are many very good individuals out there working this way.) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Java Posse" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en.
