programming language typing, static and dynamic
I just read Bruce Eckel’s blog entry which discusses programming language typing, static vs. dynamic.
His conclusion is that we, software developers, need “Strong testing, not strong typing.” and I couldn’t agree more. I’ll expand on his statements and reiterate that all too often software folks get caught up evangelizing their chosen technology and lose sight of their end goal.
Take a step back. Ask yourself WHY you’re doing something. Ask yourself why more often. Ask your peers/colleagues/friends for their opinion and explain to THEM why you’re making the choices you are. Now comes the hard part, actually listen to their feedback.
Bruce’s example of Python is quite good and I applaud his explanation and level of detail. Having an in depth example from the person that wrote “Thinking in Java” is a great conversation piece and point of reference for those of us who are more concerned with solving problems and getting things done than evangelizing technologies. In an industry where the only constant is change, we must get better at picking the right tool for the job.