What will the others think?

So in my last post I lightly shared some of my philosophical thoughts about generics. I can't say that I really understand what I’m on about in that post. However there is a lot of stuff that could be done to the most common languages out there. What I like about C#, is the fact that Microsoft continue to develop the language. This encourage the thought that we might have a really good programming language some day.

All of this is interesting, and I am always interested in ways to better my code. New syntax gives me more power and possibly new ways to design and write better code. So I am a coding geek, but I am also a professional. S0 when someone tells me that functional programming will improve my code and make it easier to maintain, then I can agree with that person to a certain level. Now, some of you might think that I am stupid to agree to this only “to a certain level”, but most programmers isn't interested in experimenting with new syntax that they feel uncomfortable with. And they usualy state that the way they've always solved problems work, changing it will only introduce more risk then reducing.

So what will happen when we enter the full blown era of C# 3? Well I will of course take advantage of this in my design. And I will probably write the toughest parts in our projects myself, but what will happen when one of the other programmers must put a lambda expression into a method call that I have written? I think they will question my thinking. It doesn’t matter what I think, they are content with how they solve problems already.

Let’s face it, functional programming and full blown utilization of generics turn object oriented programming on the edge. It’s totally a new way of thinking. And I don’t think that many programmers out there are ready for it, or even interested in getting ready for it.

My final point is that when I act system architect, I also have the competence of my collegues in mind. Not doing so will risk the time frame of the project. But keep in mind that I also have their personal education to think about. There must be balance.