Re: [Caml-list] Operator overloading

[Tom <tom.primozic@gmail.com>]

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On 08/03/07, Robert Fischer <RFischer@roomandboard.com> wrote:
>
>
> When I see "+", I want to know what that means.
>

I disagree and I couldn't disagree more. In mathematics, we're perfectly ?!?
using + for integer, float, complex, vector and matrix addition (and the
combinations of them) and * for integer, float, complex, vector, vector and
scalar, and matrix multiplication. One who doesn't understand what the
"code" - mathematical notation - means should blame oneself for not
understanding the algorithm, not the "designer" for making the "language" -
mathematical conventions - unappropriate.

Albeit Brian Hurt's comment about operator overloading making more harm than
good in C++, I believe that overloading simply has to be used appropriately
- it's like saying pointers are bad because they can introduce memory leaks
and null references, and division is bad because it can raise
Division_by_zero exceptions.

Like a saying for magic goes, "There is no black magic or white magic, there
is only magic. It's classification depends on the intentions of the caster!"
Any tool given to a programmer can be used either to his advantage or
disadvantage. Even in the "best" language, a stupid programmer will programm
poor algorithms, so there is no point protecting the programmer from himself
(or herself).

Hence, one can hardly say overloading (in general, not only operator
overloading) is bad in C++. If designed carefuly and mantained with a bit of
common sense, it can result in enormous productivity gain. And, how often
does it happen that you don't know what a particular operation means in a
three-lines-long numerical calculation involving vectors, floats and
matrices? Anyhow, if you DID get lost, then you would equally lose yourself
in a mess of *|, +\, %, -| and /. operators. You don't want OCaml be named
LISO - Lost In Superfluous Operators.

I believe that operator overloading an d overloading in general can result
in great productivity and readability gain. Also, they can improve
polymorphism. For example, does it matter if you can't figure out the type
of a in length a? Actually, it doesn't - it could be a list, an array, a
dynarray, a train or a snake - as long as it "fits" algorithmically, it can
be anything.

- Tom

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