The classical example (forgetting perl for the moment) is a statement like 3.14 + "dog". If we assume that 3.14 is a floating point number, "+" is the addition operator, and "dog" is a string, most people might agree that the statement is meaningless.

*thinks real hard about this*

So, if I'm understanding what you're saying and all the links that have been provided ... we could arrive at the following definitions:

So, in your example, the operation '+' isn't defined for the value "dog". However, let's say we had the operation '_' (string concatenation). It would be defined for "dog" ... it could also be defined for "3.14". So, the statement 3.14 _ "dog" could have meaning ... right?

I do understand what all the fuss is about re: types ... having a strong type system would eliminate whole classes of bugs, in the way that automatic memory management has eliminated a whole class of bugs. Arguably, it is the Lazier solution to do this. And, I think that some of the people on the lambda site are correct in saying that it's a sociological issue, not a technical one ... sort of.

I think I need to think on this topic some more ...

Being right, does not endow the right to be rude; politeness costs nothing.
Being unknowing, is not the same as being stupid.
Expressing a contrary opinion, whether to the individual or the group, is more often a sign of deeper thought than of cantankerous belligerence.
Do not mistake your goals as the only goals; your opinion as the only opinion; your confidence as correctness. Saying you know better is not the same as explaining you know better.

In reply to Re^4: "strong typing" is potentially ambiguous by dragonchild
in thread (Completely OT) - Hero(i)n programming language on Slashdot by dragonchild

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