

Video by Google -- How to Design a Good API -- And Why it Matters - vlad
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3733345136856180693

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gojomo
I would be more impressed with the philosophy in this presentation if I hadn't
wasted so many hours of my life working around the 'final' and 'private'
things the Java APIs try to prevent me from incrementally extending.

~~~
willarson
Java is a language built around safety, safety in the jvm, safety in the
programs, safety in the APIs. Its a real pain to deal with these issues when
you need to do something the library simply doesn't support. This is what we
get for working in a language explicitly designed for "average programmers":
safety, lots and lots of safety. And it makes sense, for larger companies with
low quality and interchangeable programmers. But it still sucks to deal with.

I definitely prefer Python's "if you're an idiot you can go ahead and depend
on private stuff, but we don't care if you get screwed" approach.

