Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon)

References	<mailman.2549.1384371222.18130.python-list@python.org> <beqs6jF6ojmU1@mid.individual.net> <1f0ffad0-f9b1-4154-b048-510d8e38846e@googlegroups.com> <betrckFpdk9U1@mid.individual.net>
Date	2013-11-18 17:56 +1100
Subject	Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon)
From	Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.python
Message-ID	<mailman.2823.1384757801.18130.python-list@python.org> (permalink)

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On Mon, Nov 18, 2013 at 5:45 PM, Gregory Ewing
<greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> wrote:
> Rick Johnson wrote:
>>
>>     The multiplication operator can ONLY be used on
>>     numerics.
>
>
> I'm not convinced about that part. I notice that
> subtraction, multiplication and division are bundled
> into a single interface Numeric, but there is a
> separate one called Summable for addition --
> apparently so that they could use + for string
> concatenation.
>
> This seems to be a case of one rule for the language
> designers and a different one for everyone else.
> If it's okay for '+' to be used on something that's
> not a number, why not '*'?

That's something Java did (using + for strings, but not supporting
operator overloading for custom classes, so you can't make your own
string-like or number-like class and use + with it), and IMO it's one
of the language's annoying flaws. Give people the power to use
whatever operator they choose in whatever way they choose, and accept
that occasionally you'll get less-than-stellar usage. It's a cost that
you pay happily when you let people name their own functions; why not
give the same freedom for operators?

ChrisA

Thread

Oh look, another language (ceylon) Neal Becker <ndbecker2@gmail.com> - 2013-11-13 14:33 -0500
  Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2013-11-17 16:41 +1300
    Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-11-17 15:10 +1100
    Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-11-17 05:48 +0000
      Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) jkn <jkn_gg@nicorp.f9.co.uk> - 2013-11-17 00:34 -0800
    Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2013-11-17 12:41 +0000
      Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2013-11-18 11:33 +1300
        Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-11-18 11:42 +1100
        Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Tim Daneliuk <tundra@tundraware.com> - 2013-11-17 16:48 -0600
          Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2013-11-18 23:51 +0000
            Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Tim Daneliuk <tundra@tundraware.com> - 2013-11-18 18:31 -0600
    Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Rick Johnson <rantingrickjohnson@gmail.com> - 2013-11-17 16:18 -0800
      Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2013-11-18 19:45 +1300
        Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-11-18 17:56 +1100
          Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) wxjmfauth@gmail.com - 2013-11-18 01:44 -0800
            Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2013-11-18 09:56 +0000
            Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-11-18 21:04 +1100
              Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-11-18 13:31 +0000
                Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-11-19 00:39 +1100
                Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-11-18 14:30 +0000
                Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Dave Angel <davea@davea.name> - 2013-11-18 15:37 -0500
                Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2013-11-19 02:29 +0000
                Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-11-19 10:25 +1100
                Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2013-11-19 02:13 +0000
                Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-11-19 13:54 +1100
                Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-11-19 13:56 +1100
                Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) wxjmfauth@gmail.com - 2013-11-19 01:10 -0800
                Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Bob Martin <bob.martin@excite.com> - 2013-11-20 08:19 +0000
            Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2013-11-18 05:29 -0700
            Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-11-18 23:36 +1100
              Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Piet van Oostrum <piet@vanoostrum.org> - 2013-11-18 10:31 -0400
                Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2013-11-18 15:06 +0000
        Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Rick Johnson <rantingrickjohnson@gmail.com> - 2013-11-18 19:33 -0800
          Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2013-11-19 07:00 +0000
            Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-11-19 18:18 +1100
            Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2013-11-20 18:25 +1300
  Re: Oh look, another language (ceylon) Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-11-18 14:56 +0000

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