Re:Dueling Rhetoric of Clojure and Haskell
by tome on Wednesday November 01, 2017 @06:08PM
(#15605950)
This is a rather glib response. Of course one should choose the right tools for the situation. Personally if I'm prototyping an algorithm I'd rather do it with types so I don't write any code that was clearly nonsense before I even tried to run it.
Re:Dueling Rhetoric of Clojure and Haskell
by AnimalMuppet on Wednesday November 01, 2017 @07:12PM
(#15606351)
Personally, I work the same way you do. But I've heard enough people who want the faster feedback of a REPL-like environment to accept that their approach at least feels more productive to them. It may even be more productive - for them. If so, tying them down with type specifications would slow them down, at least in the prototyping phase.
It depends on how valuable it is in your situation to be able to run a program that contains type errors.
Sometimes it's a net win. If I'm prototyping an algorithm, and can ignore the type errors so I can learn faster, that's a win. If I'm running a startup and want to just put something out there so that I can see if the market exists (or see what I should have built), it's a net win.
Sometimes it's a net loss. If I'm building an embedded system, it's likely a net loss. If I'm building something safety-critical, it's almost certainly a net loss. If I'm dealing with big money, it's almost certainly at least a big enough risk of a net loss that I can't do it.
Forget ideology. Choose the right tools for the situation.