Slashdot Mirror
Who Needs Case-Sensitivity in Java?
David Barber asks: "I've just started learning Java, and to my exceptional disappointment it is as case-sensitive as C. I'd like to ask Slashdot readers to make the case for case-sensitivity in a programming language, because I can't see it. Although I've used C on and off since 1976, I also have a history of Fortran, COBOL, PL/I, assembler, and other legacy languages that were never case sensitive (perhaps due to the single case nature of card punches). Today I use modern languages including Visual Basic which preserves case for pleasing appearance, but is not case-sensitive itself (it will correct the case for you in the IDE, which is quite nice). In all my years of programming I have never seen the rationale for making a programming language case sensitive. It simply makes typing it in harder, and mistakes easier, yet we persevere with maintaining it in modern languages like Java. Without making this into a religious war, can someone make the argument of why case-sensitivity in a language is 'a good thing'? And don't confuse this with handling case-sensitive data, which is fine."
..and I agree. It is a major annoyance for me, as well.
A blog like any other.
I'm not a programmer, but I would imagine that case-sensitivity would help a great deal with the uniformity of the code.
Case sensitivity is just a tradition, with its roots in the Old Testiment.
He who knows not and knows he knows not is a wise man. He who knows not and knows not he knows not is a fool.
Concerning the long variable and the difficulty of writing mathematical code with those. I heavily suggest making use of the refactoring features of your IDE of choice (eclipse hopefully) to rename variables. This way you can write your code with small and obscure variable name and when your code is working you just have to rename your variables to something meaningful :)
Today I use modern languages including Visual Basic
Real programmers don't use (Visual) BASIC... at least not after puberty ! ;-)
With Case Sensitivity, I can have 52 one letter variables, not 26!
"He's a dick," it means he's an asshole
You have a very interesting definition of dick. Remind me not to ask you any anatomy questions.
Python strongly encourages it. :-)
Perhaps syntax errors should cause your monitor to explode. I think using deprecated modules already does.
Let me check....
Python 2.2.3 (#42, May 30 2003, 18:12:08) [MSC 32 bit (Intel)] on Your Mom
Type "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
IDLE 0.8 -- press F1 for help
>>> import fcntl B`LAST!!!!
AAAIIIGH! Mine EYES!
Aye.
Thus, case sensitivity is a Good Thing.
The perfect sig is a lot like silence, only louder
In english, the concept of upper and lower case is quite simple.
...
I think you mean:
In English, the concept
(Sorry, couldn't resist...)
There are only 10 types of people: those who understand decimal, those who don't, and, uh, 8 other types I forget.
GEE, LET ME THINK...WHY DO WE NEED CASE-SENSITIVITY IN A LANGUAGE? COULD IT BE BECAUSE CASE CAN ENCODE ADDITIONAL MEANING? Take the above paragraph as an example. Was I yelling? Sure seems like it. In the same way, additional meaning can be encoded within a programming language by using that little Shift button on your keyboard.
I've just started learning Spanish, and to my exceptional disappointment it is as spelling-sensitive as English. I'd like to ask Slashdot readers to make the case for spelling-sensitivity in a written language, because I can't see it. Although I've used English on and off since 1976, I also have a history of Egyptian heiroglyphics, runatic symbols, street signs, pictographs, and other legacy languages that were never spelling sensitive (perhaps due to the lack of letters in these symbolic languagues). Today I use modern languages including American Sign Language which preserves spelling for pleasing appearance, but is not spelling-sensitive itself (it will correct the case for you in the Word, which is quite nice). In all my years of speaking I have never seen the rationale for making a language spelling sensitive. It simply makes typing it in harder, and mistakes easier, yet we persevere with maintaining it in modern languages like Spanish. Without making this into a religious war, can someone make the argument of why spelling-sensitivity in a language is 'a good thing'? And don't confuse this with handling spelling-sensitive surnames, which is fine."
HIV Crosses Species Barrier... into Muppets
Most programmers are male, Many are ADD, some are dsylexic. Most can type almsot as fast as they think. MY pinkie raNdomly pushes shift without being asked TO. ANd sometimes doesn't release it when asked to. I Alsso sometimese accidentally double letters. Case insensitivity with a case aware IDE allows me to focus on What the Foo I am doing with BAR without worring about which foo I baR. I tend to Trust my IDE to let me know during code review... before I complie that I didn't put those letters in the write order. I use a modified version of MS's Hugarian notation for variables so that clsFOO is different from szfoo and clsszfoo is something else entirely...
Food not Bombs is a nice platitude but it breaks down when you notice that the Bombees are usually well fed