RE: [GD-General] Compile times

[Brian H. <bri...@py...>]

>     You've traded static compile time error detection for 
> runtime exceptions.  I can't see that making your game more 
> robust or your test loop any quicker.  Tom

That's typically true, but in my experience static type checking is
overrated.  I almost never accidentally put the wrong type of object
into a container.  In addition, you can do type checking checking just
like any other assertion.

Static type checking isn't a magic bullet.  It can help, but there are
so many more real classes of run time errors that type mismatch is
incredibly low on my list.  It's one of those things that I think is
overemphasized in traditional software engineering discussion.  Note
that there's a difference between "static type checking with occasional
by-pass" and "no static type checking at all".  I'm generally against
the latter, and very for the former.

For example, going back to the prior thread on scripting, some scripting
languages have zero static type checking (which is one of my complaints
with them, ironically enough) and they're still very successful.  Same
wiith languages like Objective-C, which has enjoyed strong underground
success for over a decade and is considered one of the best languages
for rapid prototyping and deployment of mission critical apps (one of
the major areas that Obj-C/NextStep managed to acquire a foothold were
places like medical, financial, etc. industries where custom vertical
market apps that could be put together very quickly were important).

That said, I now just have custom coded containers for most things and
it hasn't impacted me negatively to the degree that I expected.  My
generic container classes will probably just go away.

Brian