Re: Programming style question

Newsgroups	comp.lang.javascript
Subject	Re: Programming style question
From	"Evertjan." <exxjxw.hannivoort@inter.nl.net>
References	<r_WdnX50haYCLeLNnZ2dnUVZ_vGdnZ2d@earthlink.com> <XnsA0F069C176694eejj99@194.109.133.133> <R_WdnYPwuJ3QZOLNnZ2dnUVZ_uGdnZ2d@earthlink.com>
Date	2012-10-18 17:59 +0200
Message-ID	<XnsA0F0B70DAAC48eejj99@194.109.133.133> (permalink)

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Patricia Shanahan wrote on 18 okt 2012 in comp.lang.javascript:

> Evertjan. wrote:
> ...
>> There is much to be said for strong-typed languages, but their main 
>> usefulness is or was keeping the memory-allocation for variables
>> small in the compiled executable. Historically this was even more
>> important than now, memory having become cheap, but in a scripting
>> language like Javascript, where the memory is only allocated at
>> execution-time this has been the case much longer. 
>> 
> 
> I've never seen compact memory representation as the most important
> benefit of strong typing. Even in languages that permit global and
> static data, the trend 

The "trend" perhaps, but in older compiling languages, a typed variable 
got it's own permanent number of bytes. Even a string had to be definet 
with it's maximum length. This is still an important issue with databases, 
as you may well know.

> is towards dynamically loading libraries and
> dynamically allocated memory. For one thing, most program now have to
> operate across a range of memory and problem sizes that would make
> static memory allocation very inconvenient.

"Now" perhaps, but strong typing was not developed for the present.

> The primary advantage form my point of view is universally quantified
> assertions. In Java, I can know that in all executions, under all
> conditions, a particular variable is either null or a pointer to a
> String. 

That this is an advantage could be just your preconditioned imagination, 
because that is the way yo were trained, or preferably you trained 
yourself. 

Howver I cannot imagine assembler or microcode to be dependent on dynamic 
memory. Those languages perhaps are not your piese of cake, but that does 
not mean they are not cricket. Dynamic memory allocation also came late in 
Forth, Pascal, etc.

> The most I can know without strong typing is that it has been
> a String in every test I've run so far.

But what would be the absolute advantage, but that you are used to it?

Especially when using scripting languages, either just executed as read, 
like batch-languages, or "late" compiled at executuion-time, have nothing 
to gain from strong typing in my view. Those dynamics take care of the 
lack of strong consystancy. 

In short, why would I need to do manually insert translation function to 
see if ( 1 == '1' ) is true? 

While I can test the equality of types seperately if needed [quod seldom], 
I can also do strong comparison ( 1 === '1' ) [quod sometimes].

As I am always fighting the notion of "best programming practice",
I would not object if you like exclusively using strong comparison in 
Javacript, but to some or many others your preferance arguments are not 
convincing.

-- 
Evertjan.
The Netherlands.
(Please change the x'es to dots in my emailaddress)

Thread

Programming style question Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2012-10-18 08:32 +0100
  Re: Programming style question "Evertjan." <exxjxw.hannivoort@inter.nl.net> - 2012-10-18 10:23 +0200
    Re: Programming style question Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2012-10-18 13:42 +0100
      Re: Programming style question "Evertjan." <exxjxw.hannivoort@inter.nl.net> - 2012-10-18 17:59 +0200
        Re: Programming style question Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-10-18 09:56 -0700
          Re: Programming style question "Evertjan." <exxjxw.hannivoort@inter.nl.net> - 2012-10-19 00:49 +0200
            Re: Programming style question Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-10-19 11:04 -0700
              Re: Programming style question "Evertjan." <exxjxw.hannivoort@inter.nl.net> - 2012-10-20 11:52 +0200
            Re: Programming style question Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2012-10-19 12:06 -0700
              Re: Programming style question Tim Streater <timstreater@greenbee.net> - 2012-10-19 23:12 +0100
                Re: Programming style question "Mel Smith" <med_cutout_syntel@aol.com> - 2012-10-19 21:56 -0600
              Re: Programming style question Bart Van der Donck <bart@nijlen.com> - 2012-10-20 02:21 -0700
                Re: Programming style question "Evertjan." <exxjxw.hannivoort@inter.nl.net> - 2012-10-20 12:03 +0200
                Re: Programming style question Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2012-10-20 06:31 -0700
                Re: Programming style question "Evertjan." <exxjxw.hannivoort@inter.nl.net> - 2012-10-20 18:30 +0200
                Re: Programming style question Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2012-10-20 10:32 -0700
                Re: Programming style question Tim Streater <timstreater@greenbee.net> - 2012-10-20 22:34 +0100
                Re: Programming style question "Evertjan." <exxjxw.hannivoort@inter.nl.net> - 2012-10-21 10:12 +0200
                Re: Programming style question Tim Streater <timstreater@greenbee.net> - 2012-10-21 09:34 +0100
                Re: Programming style question Dr J R Stockton <reply1242@merlyn.demon.co.uk.invalid> - 2012-10-21 17:59 +0100
                Re: Programming style question "Evertjan." <exxjxw.hannivoort@inter.nl.net> - 2012-10-22 09:55 +0200
                Re: Programming style question Tim Streater <timstreater@greenbee.net> - 2012-10-22 09:50 +0100
                Re: Programming style question Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2012-10-22 04:49 -0700
                Re: Programming style question Tim Streater <timstreater@greenbee.net> - 2012-10-22 14:04 +0100
                Re: Programming style question Hans-Georg Michna <hans-georgNoEmailPlease@michna.com> - 2012-10-22 16:07 +0200
                Re: Programming style question Dr J R Stockton <reply1243@merlyn.demon.co.uk.invalid> - 2012-10-23 18:22 +0100
                Re: Programming style question Hans-Georg Michna <hans-georgNoEmailPlease@michna.com> - 2012-10-22 16:01 +0200
                Re: Programming style question Jim T. <x@y.z> - 2012-10-22 12:16 -0400
                Re: Programming style question Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2012-10-22 11:40 -0700
                Re: Programming style question Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-10-22 14:01 -0700
                Re: Programming style question Hans-Georg Michna <hans-georgNoEmailPlease@michna.com> - 2012-10-23 10:07 +0200
                Re: Programming style question Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-10-23 09:43 -0700
                Re: Programming style question "Evertjan." <exxjxw.hannivoort@inter.nl.net> - 2012-10-23 11:49 +0200
                Re: Programming style question Jim T. <x@y.z> - 2012-10-23 15:52 -0400
                Re: Programming style question Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2012-10-23 13:07 -0700
                Re: Programming style question "Evertjan." <exxjxw.hannivoort@inter.nl.net> - 2012-10-23 22:45 +0200
                Re: Programming style question Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-10-23 14:14 -0700
                Re: Programming style question "Evertjan." <exxjxw.hannivoort@inter.nl.net> - 2012-10-24 09:35 +0200
                Re: Programming style question Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-10-24 10:17 -0700
                Re: Programming style question Dr J R Stockton <reply1243@merlyn.demon.co.uk.invalid> - 2012-10-25 18:41 +0100
                Re: Programming style question Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2012-10-25 17:03 -0700
                Re: Programming style question Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-10-25 20:14 -0700
                Re: Programming style question Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2012-10-25 20:46 -0700
                Re: Programming style question "Evertjan." <exxjxw.hannivoort@inter.nl.net> - 2012-10-26 09:55 +0200
                Re: Programming style question Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2012-10-26 06:18 -0700
                Re: Programming style question "Evertjan." <exxjxw.hannivoort@inter.nl.net> - 2012-10-26 17:43 +0200
                Re: Programming style question Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-10-26 09:57 -0700
                Re: Programming style question Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2012-10-26 10:24 -0700
                Re: Programming style question Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-10-26 14:18 -0700
                Re: Programming style question Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2012-10-27 10:45 +0200
                Re: Programming style question "Evertjan." <exxjxw.hannivoort@inter.nl.net> - 2012-10-27 12:58 +0200
                Re: Programming style question Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2012-10-27 16:18 +0200
                Re: Programming style question "Evertjan." <exxjxw.hannivoort@inter.nl.net> - 2012-10-27 18:08 +0200
                Re: Programming style question Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2012-10-27 18:26 +0200
                Re: Programming style question "Evertjan." <exxjxw.hannivoort@inter.nl.net> - 2012-10-27 19:43 +0200
                Re: Programming style question Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2012-10-27 21:09 +0200
                Re: Programming style question "Evertjan." <exxjxw.hannivoort@inter.nl.net> - 2012-10-27 22:53 +0200
                Re: Programming style question John G Harris <john@nospam.demon.co.uk> - 2012-10-28 11:37 +0000
                Re: Programming style question Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2012-10-28 12:50 +0100
                Re: Programming style question Martin Leese <please@see.Web.for.e-mail.INVALID> - 2012-10-28 13:43 -0600
                Re: Programming style question "Evertjan." <exxjxw.hannivoort@inter.nl.net> - 2012-10-28 23:58 +0100
                Re: Programming style question John G Harris <john@nospam.demon.co.uk> - 2012-10-29 11:18 +0000
                Re: Programming style question Eric Bednarz <bednarz@fahr-zur-hoelle.org> - 2012-10-27 23:58 +0200
                Re: Programming style question Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2012-10-28 12:43 +0100
                Re: Programming style question Dr J R Stockton <reply1243@merlyn.demon.co.uk.invalid> - 2012-10-27 19:44 +0100
                Re: Programming style question Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2012-10-24 12:06 -0700
                Re: Programming style question Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2012-10-24 21:27 +0200
                Re: Programming style question Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-10-24 15:12 -0700
                Re: Programming style question Tim Streater <timstreater@greenbee.net> - 2012-10-25 01:29 +0100
                Re: Programming style question Stefan Weiss <krewecherl@gmail.com> - 2012-10-24 21:25 +0200
                Re: Programming style question Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2012-10-24 21:57 +0200
                Re: Programming style question Stefan Weiss <krewecherl@gmail.com> - 2012-10-25 01:11 +0200
                Re: Programming style question Christoph Becker <cmbecker69@gmx.de> - 2012-10-25 02:00 +0200
                Re: Programming style question Scott Sauyet <scott.sauyet@gmail.com> - 2012-10-24 20:27 -0700
                Re: Programming style question Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2012-10-25 08:44 +0200
                Re: Programming style question Adam Silver <adambsilver@gmail.com> - 2012-10-25 04:28 -0700
                Re: Programming style question Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2012-10-25 23:18 +0200
                Re: Programming style question Scott Sauyet <scott.sauyet@gmail.com> - 2012-10-26 08:24 -0700
                Re: Programming style question Stefan Weiss <krewecherl@gmail.com> - 2012-11-07 22:13 +0100
                Re: Programming style question Tim Streater <timstreater@greenbee.net> - 2012-11-07 21:51 +0000
                Re: Programming style question Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2012-11-07 23:47 +0100
                Re: Programming style question Stefan Weiss <krewecherl@gmail.com> - 2012-11-08 01:14 +0100
                Re: Programming style question Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-11-07 16:51 -0800
                Re: Programming style question "Evertjan." <exxjxw.hannivoort@inter.nl.net> - 2012-11-08 16:45 +0100
                Re: Programming style question Scott Sauyet <scott.sauyet@gmail.com> - 2012-11-08 08:02 -0800
                Re: Programming style question "Evertjan." <exxjxw.hannivoort@inter.nl.net> - 2012-11-08 17:39 +0100
                Re: Programming style question Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-11-08 11:25 -0800
                Re: Programming style question "Evertjan." <exxjxw.hannivoort@inter.nl.net> - 2012-11-08 22:25 +0100
                Re: Programming style question John G Harris <john@nospam.demon.co.uk> - 2012-11-09 10:19 +0000
                Re: Programming style question "Evertjan." <exxjxw.hannivoort@inter.nl.net> - 2012-11-09 17:41 +0100
                Re: Programming style question Dr J R Stockton <reply1245@merlyn.demon.co.uk.invalid> - 2012-11-10 22:38 +0000
                Re: Programming style question Scott Sauyet <scott.sauyet@gmail.com> - 2012-10-22 12:32 -0700
                Re: Programming style question Hans-Georg Michna <hans-georgNoEmailPlease@michna.com> - 2012-10-23 10:05 +0200
                Re: Programming style question Christoph Becker <cmbecker69@gmx.de> - 2012-10-22 22:11 +0200
                Re: Programming style question Stefan Weiss <krewecherl@gmail.com> - 2012-10-23 02:42 +0200
                Re: Programming style question Hans-Georg Michna <hans-georgNoEmailPlease@michna.com> - 2012-10-23 10:08 +0200
              Re: Programming style question "Evertjan." <exxjxw.hannivoort@inter.nl.net> - 2012-10-20 18:34 +0200
  Re: Programming style question Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2012-10-18 11:57 +0200
    Re: Programming style question Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2012-10-18 13:06 +0100
      Re: Programming style question "Jukka K. Korpela" <jkorpela@cs.tut.fi> - 2012-10-18 15:32 +0300
        Re: Programming style question Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2012-10-18 13:37 +0100
          Re: Programming style question "Jukka K. Korpela" <jkorpela@cs.tut.fi> - 2012-10-18 15:55 +0300
          Re: Programming style question John G Harris <john@nospam.demon.co.uk> - 2012-10-19 10:12 +0100
            Re: Programming style question Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2012-10-19 07:24 -0700
              Re: Programming style question John G Harris <john@nospam.demon.co.uk> - 2012-10-20 17:47 +0100
          Re: Programming style question Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2012-10-24 01:15 +0100
            Re: Programming style question Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2012-10-24 01:31 +0100
            Re: Programming style question "Jukka K. Korpela" <jkorpela@cs.tut.fi> - 2012-10-24 07:34 +0300
              Re: Programming style question Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2012-10-24 19:57 +0200
                Re: Programming style question "Jukka K. Korpela" <jkorpela@cs.tut.fi> - 2012-10-24 21:02 +0300
        Re: Programming style question Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2012-10-18 20:15 -0700
      Re: Programming style question Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2012-10-24 01:21 +0100
  Re: Programming style question Scott Sauyet <scott.sauyet@gmail.com> - 2012-10-21 17:57 -0700

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