From f10d69716a4a67244350862281cb4f0301ccd6da Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Simon Ochsenreither Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2024 16:07:14 +0100 Subject: [PATCH] improve Rust-related articles --- _languages/lower-bar-of-rust-2.md | 47 ++++++++++++++++--------------- _languages/popular-but-wrong.md | 17 +++++------ index.md | 9 ++---- 3 files changed, 35 insertions(+), 38 deletions(-) diff --git a/_languages/lower-bar-of-rust-2.md b/_languages/lower-bar-of-rust-2.md index fce4c10b..bf6ba7f5 100644 --- a/_languages/lower-bar-of-rust-2.md +++ b/_languages/lower-bar-of-rust-2.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- title: "The lower bar of a hypothetical Rust 2.0" date: 2022-12-18 -update: 2023-11-16 +update: 2024-01-22 --- _**TL;DR:** Rust 2.0 is not going to happen, but here are fixes that would make it actually worthwhile._ @@ -25,16 +25,17 @@ as a learning opportunity for future language designers: #### Drop struct initialization syntax -No point having special syntax to initialize structs if everyone immediately defines `::new()` functions to avoid it. -People voted with their feet, and language designers need to respect that. +There is little reason why invoking functions, initializing structs and enums and initializing tupled structs and enums have to follow different rules. -Dropping it also solves the ambiguity in `if X { ...`. +Also, there is no point in having special syntax to initialize structs if everyone immediately defines `::new()` functions to avoid it. People voted with their feet, and language designers need to respect that. + +See [this article](rust-struct-initializer-mistake) for more details. #### Named parameters using `=` -After dropping struct literal initialization there is no point in using `:` for this, but lots of reasons against. +After dropping struct literal initialization there is no point in using `:` for value assignments, but lots of reasons against. -This allows restoring the intuition that `: Type` can be attached to every value to ascribe its type. +This allows restoring the intuition that `=` is followed by a value and `:` is followed by a type, and that every value can receive a type ascription. #### Vararg parameters @@ -44,25 +45,25 @@ Don't hand out rocket artillery to people wanting to cut their toenail. #### Drop range syntax -It takes up way too much language footprint for very little actual benefit. +It takes up way too much language footprint for very little actual benefit, and is a source of constant language expansion proposals. -Also fix the relationship of ranges with `Iterator`/`IntoIterator` and perhaps [a few other problems](https://ridiculousfish.com/blog/posts/least-favorite-rust-type.html). +Also, fix the relationship of ranges with `Iterator`/`IntoIterator` and perhaps [a few other problems](https://ridiculousfish.com/blog/posts/least-favorite-rust-type.html). #### Drop array and slice syntax -This frees up the `[]` bracket pair for more useful purposes. - -#### Fold `Index` and `IndexMut` into `Fn` trait family - -Providing traits to let people decide how round they want their function call parentheses to be is -not a useful feature. +This frees up the `[]` bracket pair for more useful purposes. #### Make generics use `[]` instead of `<>`/`::<>` Turns out "trying to preserve the strangeness budget"[^4] can't fix a [broken design](stop-using-angle-brackets-for-generics). Pretending it's not broken doesn't help either, otherwise we would have seen results by now, -because various languages tried that approach really hard for a few decades already. +because various languages tried that approach really hard for a few decades already. + +#### Fold `Index` and `IndexMut` into `Fn` trait family + +Providing traits to let people decide how round they want their function call parentheses to be is +not a useful feature. #### Remove the hierarchy between `Eq`/`Ord` and `PartialEq`/`PartialOrd` traits @@ -70,25 +71,25 @@ This means that floating point values can correctly implement the total order op #### Drop `::` -The distinction between path navigation (`::`) and member access (`.`) is not important enough to bother users with it at every single occassion. +The distinction between path navigation (`::`) and member access (`.`) is not important enough to bother users with it at every single occasion. -Instead, let the IDE handle it with some syntax coloring and be done with it. +Instead, let the IDE use some syntax coloring and be done with it. #### Drop `as` ... or at least make it make sense: it should *either* do type conversions *or* value conversions, but not both. -#### Remove significance of semicola +#### Drop `if-let` -Varying the meaning of a piece of code based on the presence of a `;` at a specific line is bad user interface design. +You know a feature is not well thought out if it has spawned 4 extensions proposals already. -Remove it and implement automatic semicolon inference, such that IDEs can show them, but no user has to ever type them. +Instead, use the vastly superior [`is` design](unified-condition-expressions-comparison). -#### Drop `if-let` +#### Remove significance of semicola -You know a feature is not well thought out if it has spawned 4 extensions proposals already. +Varying the meaning of a piece of code based on the presence of a `;` at a specific line is bad user interface design. -Instead, use the vastly better [`is` design](unified-condition-expressions-comparison). +Remove it and implement automatic semicolon inference, such that IDEs can show them, but no user has to ever type them. [^1]: ["Does Rust have any design mistakes?"](https://old.reddit.com/r/rust/comments/wvynot/does_rust_have_any_design_mistakes/) [^2]: [label:rust-2-breakage-wishlist](https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues?q=label%3Arust-2-breakage-wishlist) diff --git a/_languages/popular-but-wrong.md b/_languages/popular-but-wrong.md index 3bd7bffc..cc6c2409 100644 --- a/_languages/popular-but-wrong.md +++ b/_languages/popular-but-wrong.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- title: "Language Design: Popular, but Wrong" date: 2020-10-20 -update: 2022-06-10 +update: 2024-01-22 redirect_from: - "/languages/popular-wrong-decisions" - "/languages/popular-wrong-opinions" @@ -13,10 +13,11 @@ redirect_from: 4. `[]` for arrays ([see](stop-using-angle-brackets-for-generics)) 5. `Type ident` instead of `ident: Type` ([see](type-annotations)) 6. having if-then-else *and* switch/case *and* a ternary operator ([see](unified-condition-expressions)) - 7. separate namespaces for methods and fields - 8. having both modifiers and annotations ([see](annotations-obsolete-modifiers)) - 9. method overloading -10. namespace declarations doubling as imports -11. special syntax for casting -12. using cast syntax for things that are not casts -13. requiring `()` for methods without parameters + 7. having both modifiers and annotations ([see](annotations-obsolete-modifiers)) + 8. `async`/`await` + 9. separate namespaces for methods and fields +10. method overloading +11. namespace declarations doubling as imports +12. special syntax for casting +13. using cast syntax for things that are not casts +14. requiring `()` for methods without parameters diff --git a/index.md b/index.md index b5ea1c1d..5aaee08a 100644 --- a/index.md +++ b/index.md @@ -72,14 +72,9 @@ navigation: true
  • Popular, but Wrong
  • Implicit Numeric Conversions
  • Package Objects in Scala
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  • The lower bar of "Rust 2.0"
  • Struct initialization in Rust
    • -
  • Design Mistakes in Rust
    • - - -
    Rust compatibility: -