The language-features tag has no wiki summary.
5
votes
10answers
317 views
Does your workplace allow the use of multiple, interoperable programming languages?
Since now there are several good languages that target the JVM and can interop with Java with varying degrees of painlessness, and likewise for the CLR (especially with the recent addition of F# as an ...
8
votes
4answers
632 views
Is there any reason lazy initialization couldn't be built into Java?
Since I'm working on a server with absolutely no non-persisted state for users, every User-related object we have is rolled out on every request.
Consequently I often find myself doing lazy ...
17
votes
16answers
2k views
What are the most controversial C# or .NET “features” you would consider “bugs”? [closed]
What do you consider a bug in C#, or .NET framework that Microsoft will not fix, or hasn't fixed yet?
I'm hoping the answers to this question will give us better patterns to work from, and build ...
3
votes
1answer
479 views
what are the benefits of closure, primarily for PHP?
I am beginning the process of moving code over to PHP 5.3 and one of the most highly touted features of PHP 5.3 is the ability to use closures. My understanding of closures is that they allow ...
9
votes
5answers
696 views
Why no fortran standard library?
To be a language focused on mathematics and scientific computing, I am always baffled by the total lack of useful mathematical routines in the Fortran standard library. One would expect it to be ...
3
votes
1answer
139 views
feature request in language design?
How do language designers decide when a feature should go in a library as an extension or when it needs to have support from the core language?
38
votes
9answers
7k views
What is a closure?
Every now and then I see "closures" being mentioned, and I tried looking it up but Wiki doesn't give an explanation that I understand. Could someone help me out here?
6
votes
3answers
422 views
Can you name some pattern matching languages for non-strings?
Regular expressions and are popular matching patterns in strings. What similar handy languages exist to match other data structures? I know XPath for XML trees, but I have not seen use of it for other ...
32
votes
5answers
1k views
When is a feature considered a “First class citizen” in a programming language/platform?
I have seen many times statements like- "Please make this feature a first class citizen in so and so language/platform". For example, it is said about enums in C#/.net. So, when is a feature ...
17
votes
24answers
1k views
Interesting or unique types in programming languages? [closed]
We have all seen integer, floating point, string, and the occasional decimal type. What are some of the most strange or unique or useful types you have encountered, useful or not?
3
votes
6answers
1k views
C++: calling non-member functions with the same syntax of member ones
One thing I'd like to do in C++ is to call non-member functions with the same syntax you call member functions:
class A { };
void f( A & this ) { /* ... */ }
// ...
A a;
a.f(); // this is the ...
1
vote
5answers
444 views
'Other' Features in a programming language
Online (i cant remember where) i saw someone mention he wishes programming language has more built in features for tools like documentation and source control.
Now i dont understand what needs to be ...
3
votes
3answers
231 views
What have I missed in Python since version 2.4?
Please help me understand what important features I've missed in Python since my last experience on 2.4 version.
Now I should choose a framework/language for my upcoming project, which will be ...
41
votes
40answers
4k views
Is anything in programming truly evil? [closed]
So, there are a bunch of questions appearing asking is X evil, is Y evil.
My view is that there are no language constructs, algorithms or whatever which are evil, just ones which are badly used. ...
88
votes
77answers
13k views
What features would you like to have in PHP? [closed]
Since it's the holiday season now and everybody's making wishes, I wonder - which language features you would wish PHP would have added? I am interested in some practical suggestions/wishes for the ...
9
votes
3answers
1k views
Why are private variables described in the publicly accessible header file?
OK, so hopefully this is a subjective enough question for Programmers, but here goes. I am continuously broadening my knowledge of languages and software engineering practices... and I've run into ...
16
votes
10answers
862 views
Help me catch up on what I've missed since Java 1.4.2 [closed]
I am about to start my first professional career position as a software developer, and I'm likely going to be writing a lot of Java code. I don't know that much about what specifically I'll be ...
18
votes
17answers
1k views
Why aren't databases integrated as a language feature?
Are there any programming languages that have a built-in database as a first-class language feature rather than connecting to an external SQL (or other) database? What would be the drawbacks and ...
15
votes
9answers
904 views
Are optional parameters helpful or a hindrance to application maintenance?
As stated in the title, are optional parameters, such as those used in C# helpful or are they a hindrance to application maintenance and should be avoided as they can make the code harder to ...
9
votes
7answers
551 views
Are Language Comparisons Meaningful?
Dr Bjarne Stroustrup in his book D&E says
Several reviewers asked me to compare C++ to other languages. This I have decided against doing. Thereby, I have reaffirmed a long-standing and ...
20
votes
19answers
1k views
What language, or language feature, do you wish made it to the mainstream? [closed]
Some languages in the past have been influential without ever reaching wide adoption. For example, many languages owe much to the design of Algol 68, even though few compilers were ever written for ...
6
votes
2answers
457 views
Why would anyone need this java syntax?
One day while trawling through the Java language documentation, as you do, I found this little beauty lurking within Double:
0.25 == 0x1.0p-2
Now, obviously (!) this means take the number ...
2
votes
4answers
270 views
How does language [X] handle indeterminate forms like 0^0?
As x goes to 0, the limits of x^0 and 0^x go to 1 and 0, respectively. Some say that the best value for 0^0 depends on context, others say that the value of 0^0 should be 1. I'm interested in knowing ...
-1
votes
5answers
242 views
Concise and systematic descriptions of programming languages
Can you describe in few sentences or bullets program language you know best? It should be concise, not too long, lets say for one or two slides in presentation, but that contains important ...
2
votes
5answers
754 views
Which programming languages doesn't use operator precedence besides Lisp like languages?
And what do you think about operator precedences? Would be harder programming in language where the operations are executed in sequential order?
Ex.:
2 + 3 * 4 == 20
2 + (3 * 4) == 24
Ok, Lisp ...
