> Surely there are lots of people and teams out there writing Java in ways that aren't insanely stupid.
This is true. I know of a number in Java and a lot more in JVM languages. To be clear, this isn't about my work since I rarely have to write Java and my coworkers are smart so the code is relatively good.
> I think you're beating up on the language unfairly.
J2EE was a travesty. Java class hiearchies are ridiculous. The codification and practice of design patterns is excessive. XML gets used all over the place for all sorts of things. None are required for the language, but they're encoded into the best practices of the community. The whole point of best practices is to help people avoid dumb things, but somehow the Java community got it wrong. I blame the consulting industry and the design goal of trying to protect people from themselves.
If you love Java, are super productive in it, and your programs blow everything else away, power to you. I know two guys who love Java and are faster than I am at implementing an algorithm even with the LoC advantage I get in my preferred languages. The language is what it is with advantages and disadvantages. My inability to get over its flaws shouldn't hinder your joy of programming.
This is true. I know of a number in Java and a lot more in JVM languages. To be clear, this isn't about my work since I rarely have to write Java and my coworkers are smart so the code is relatively good.
> I think you're beating up on the language unfairly.
J2EE was a travesty. Java class hiearchies are ridiculous. The codification and practice of design patterns is excessive. XML gets used all over the place for all sorts of things. None are required for the language, but they're encoded into the best practices of the community. The whole point of best practices is to help people avoid dumb things, but somehow the Java community got it wrong. I blame the consulting industry and the design goal of trying to protect people from themselves.
If you love Java, are super productive in it, and your programs blow everything else away, power to you. I know two guys who love Java and are faster than I am at implementing an algorithm even with the LoC advantage I get in my preferred languages. The language is what it is with advantages and disadvantages. My inability to get over its flaws shouldn't hinder your joy of programming.