

Ask HN: Have you ever rejected a project based on programming language? - ericthegoodking


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rmsaksida
Yes, PHP.

Not much to say about it. I simply do not enjoy working with the language. It
feels icky to me, and I think PHP makes it exceptionally difficult to write
good code. To this day I don't know what good PHP code looks like - often what
people consider good PHP code looks just like Java, in which case I'd rather
skip the PHP and write Java.

There are so many well designed languages out there. I just don't see the
point in using PHP for anything complex.

~~~
TheSmoke
i second this. i started rejecting offers from companies that are using php,
two years ago. companies using php (in turkey) have high turnover rates which
means they have crippled products. i don't want to deal with a company like
that and a product like that.

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opless
Yes. I reject all projects based on PHP. At least for the past 5 years anyway.
Reason: PHP is a pretty bad programming language and a lot of things don't
work as advertised (at least the last time I looked)

I shy away from Python too, but that's because I don't like the idea of white
space being syntax. The language seems reasonably sane, apart from maybe the
constructors which are a bit odd.

~~~
exelib
It's OK to don't like it. But how much you worked with Python? In any (not
really, but nearly) language you have some syntax and some formatting. In Java
or like you use tabs or spaces to align your lines anyway, right? I have same
align for semantically same lines. Why just don't use this _natural_ alignment
for syntax and throw brackets away? One more benefit: There are no discussions
about how formatting brackets. Same line? With space before? Next line like in
C? Next line with alignment?

~~~
opless
Oh I get it.

I just have a problem with it. It's not rational:-)

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MalcolmDiggs
I'd be more likely to reject based on framework or lack there of. I don't
reject PHP work flat-out per se, but it'll be a cold day in hell before I ever
accept another Drupal gig. [shudders].

Also, test-coverage and documentation (or lack there of) can sway my opinion
pretty heavily.

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exelib
Why not? If I don't like to eat fish I just don't eat fish.

Personally I think, there are tradeoffs. After many years of PHP, I'm happy to
not code in PHP for last 4 years (except a cs project). But for example for a
lot of money I would code in PHP again. Why not? I'm also reject non-compiled
languages for backend in big projects.

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lgieron
Yes. I refuse to work with codebases in dynamic typed languages - they're just
too hard to read and get familiar with.

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tutufan
I try hard to "learn the future and not the past" and to choose projects that
will teach me useful new things. So I do tend to reject projects that use
languages that seem to be in decline, or that would teach me bad habits (or
just be depressing).

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MrTortoise
I once got a .net role and then was told all the work was php. At that point i
left, otherwise all projects i have ever met have had language chosen based on
specialisms of colleagues which makes the question somewhat redundant. In what
context would you ask this?

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PebblesHD
After a terrible first experience I usually reject anything JSP related. Java
is a great language but whoever decided to combine it with web servers created
a monster. I actually really enjoy PHP and Ruby projects, even Python with a
good framework.

~~~
davelnewton
Java isn't a great language, but on the server side it actually makes sense in
a lot of environments. JSP is only tangentially related in that it compiles to
Java.

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passenger
Yes. Legacy ASP.Net webforms! the postback concept was alien to me, and the
whole point of .NET trying to mimic javascript just felt strange.

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davelnewton
Sure, even languages I actually know. I don't understand why this question is
even a question.

