Xah Talk Show 2026-02-18 Ep763. programing language design, function named parameters. Dynamic vs strong typed.

• https://youtu.be/gUYOv2_y3Co

Video Summary (Generated by AI, Edited by Human.)

discuss the design of function named parameters in programming languages (0:17). And discuss dynamic vs strong typed languages.

• terminology. Arguments vs. Parameters (1:41): “arguments” are passed when calling a function, while “parameters” are used when defining a function.
• Named Parameters in Functional Programming (3:55): pure functional programming languages should not support named parameters. Instead, they should accept a key-value collection as a single optional last parameter (4:09).

AI's Role in Research (2:49): use grok AI to research programming language design questions, such as:

• Whether Haskell has named parameters (6:58).
• Alternative names for named parameters (7:22).
• Syntax for named parameters across various languages (7:52).
• The design of named parameters in functional and mathematical programming languages (8:56).

Functional vs. Mathematical/Scientific Languages (12:02): The video highlights a distinction: Mathematical/scientific programming languages (like R, Mathematica/Wolfram Language, Julia) commonly use named parameters (12:29) due to functions having many optional arguments (12:40).

Pure functional programming languages (like Haskell, OCaml, F#) rarely use named parameters (13:42) because they interfere with currying and higher-order function composition (13:55), concepts rooted in mathematical functions (14:19).

• Critique of Python's Parameter Design (18:11): disapproval of Python's function parameter design, calling it “extremely idiotic” and “convoluted” (18:46).
• JavaScript and Perl's Argument Handling (27:00): discusses how JavaScript (using the arguments object) and Perl (using $_ array) historically handled arbitrary arguments without explicit parameter declarations, noting these designs are generally considered bad (29:07). JavaScript introduced a “rest parameter” syntax in 2015 to address this (33:39).

• Static vs Dynamic Typing (44:36): The speaker discusses the debate between static and dynamic typing. explains C/C++/Java's static typing is idiotic (56:51), and fundamentally different from strongly typed functional languages like Haskell (rooted in mathematical type theory) (53:02).
• The speaker expresses uncertainty about which overall approach to typing is "better" (56:42).

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• computer science, programing language dsign.
• starting to think that named parameters is a problem in functional programing.
• instead, you want to pass a key n value collection as single optional last param instead.
• https://x.com/xah_lee/status/2024245072863383704

• whats are alt names for named parameters in prog langs. list the languages and what they call it.
• list functional programing languages or math programing languages of their named parameters
• https://x.com/i/grok/share/5819a1e3f32c4832bd9e5d172d5ccddf

• Perl Tutorial
• Perl: Function
• JS: the arguments object

• slop vs slob
• https://x.com/i/grok/share/c805267e653c469db89e17765655e0b4

• which programing language began the idea of a builting variable holding all arguments passed to a function
• https://x.com/i/grok/share/75d0368f729e4c14b1bf4987a0d826c9

• Python Tutorial
• Python: Function Rest Parameters (Single Asterisk *)
• Python: Function Keyword Parameters (Double Asterisk **)

• CSS: Text Decoration, Underline, Overline, Line Through, Wavy

• Steve Yegge on Dynamic Programing Languages. 2008
• Dynamic vs Static Type System in Programing Languages

• julia programing language

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