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From: markspace <markspace@nospam.nospam>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.java.programmer
Subject: Re: building "path expressions"
Date: Thu, 23 Jan 2014 15:33:38 -0800
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On 1/23/2014 2:29 PM, Jeff Higgins wrote:
>
> Why would one want type information visible in your "path expression".
>

Removing the operator overloading would convey type information.

- binds package to class.
^ binds class to subclass
: binds class to field

package a.b.c;
class G { int h = 8; }
class F { G g = new G(); }
class d { static class e { static F f = new F(); }}

becomes

   a.b.c-d:e^f:g:h

But no one thinks that way, or wants to.  The type information is there, 
but the example really isn't better for it.  Better to use names that 
convey information than to make funny symbols that look like your cat 
walked on the keyboard.

R.layout.main is an unfortunate example of not using names to properly 
convey information.  It's a quirk of working with actual human beings 
that we all have to put up with this sort of thing on occasion.