Langr Software Solutions | The Compulsive Coder, Episode 4: You Create, It Assigns

roomba long exposure

Some languages are destined to be always overly verbose. One feature I’d hoped for in later versions of Java was implicit typing. In C#, for example, you can declare:

    var customer = new Customer("Jose Cañusi");

It’s not too hard for the compiler to figure out that customer is of type Customer.

Java still has no implicit typing. Any time you need a non-specific Customer instance, you need the following code:

Customer customer = new Customer("Elmer Sklue");

I’m out of breath doing all that typing! Well, not really: I didn’t do all that typing. But I’ve suppressed a scream too often pairing with folks who do type the word customer three different times.

We have computers to compute for us. Never mind that the Java language is a cranky old uncle, you at least have a Generation Z development environment if you’re using Eclipse or IDEA.

I’m pretty sure I first saw J.B. Rainsberger demonstrating the following tip at least a dozen years ago.

Type the instantiation (right-hand) side of things first:

new Customer("Anne Teak");

Do not type the left-hand side! Instead, press Cmd-1 (Quick Fix; the corresponding keystroke is Alt-Enter in IDEA). Select Assign statement to new local variable and press enter. If you’re young enough to store away another shortcut, use the slightly more effective Cmd-2-L key combination instead.

Unnecessary typing represents distraction, waste, and risk.

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