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Who Needs Case-Sensitivity in Java?

Posted by Cliff on from the what-reasons-can-you-come-up-with dept.

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."

5 of 434 comments (clear)

  1. History by Photar · · Score: 4, Funny

    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.
  2. OMG by DarkDust · · Score: 4, Funny

    Today I use modern languages including Visual Basic

    Real programmers don't use (Visual) BASIC... at least not after puberty ! ;-)

  3. More one-letter Variables! by Ba3r · · Score: 5, Funny

    With Case Sensitivity, I can have 52 one letter variables, not 26!

  4. Re:It enforces clean code by Dr.+Smeegee · · Score: 4, Funny

    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.

  5. English rules by jtheory · · Score: 4, Funny

    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.