On 04/11/2006, at 3:31 AM, Andy Green wrote:
Therefore it does matter what language you are using, it does affect how you come at a problem, how you can consider a solution, and how successful you will be with the implementation. In short you cannot correctly choose an architecture without deeply understanding the constraints of the implementation, and that inevitably includes the abilities of the language.
I guess this is where we disagree. No modern programming environment imposes limits on the software engineer that requires him or her change the software design. If it does then the software engineer is misguided and tool-centric.
I'm old fashioned (not 1970's as you guessed but 1980's) and I think software engineering is 90% paper and pencil. This doesn't sit at all well with geeks who can't be dragged away from the keyboard. But if you design as you code (within the constraints of your development environment) you are bound to make fundamental design errors. Design versus implementation, such an old mantra I'm almost embarassed to repeat it.
Here's a challenge: design the most ambitious software project you can, and then point out any of our modern programming languages you cannot use to implement your design. Performance doesn't count, since we're trying to prove that choice of tools doesn't limit imagination.
Cheers Steffen.
