Created
April 30, 2019 02:36
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One interpretation of simple vs. easy in JavaScript
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| // In my opinion the simple vs. easy division is often represented when coding | |
| // to "layers of abstraction". Having to context-switch and switch to | |
| // a different layer to solve a problem is noise that distracts you from the | |
| // problem you were originally trying to solve. | |
| // For example, if you're trying to draw a paginating, tabular, grid view of | |
| // data to the screen it is distracting when you have to stop and wire up | |
| // a for-loop to sum the total for the current page then again for all records. | |
| // --- | |
| // Initialize a starting value then manually add each thing in a list to that | |
| // value. | |
| const numberList = [1, 5, 9] | |
| let sum1 = 0 | |
| for (let i = 0; i < numberList.length; i += 1) { | |
| sum1 += numberList[i] | |
| } | |
| // Easy because it requires only basic programming knowledge. | |
| // Not simple because it requires a fair bit of thought and attention to write | |
| // each time it is used. | |
| // --- | |
| // Initialize a starting value, describe how to add two things together, | |
| // then run that against each item in the list. | |
| const sum2 = [1, 5, 9].reduce((acc, cur) => acc + cur, 0) | |
| // Somewhat easy because it's quick to write, harder to get wrong, and easy to | |
| // read. Although it requires knowledge of higher-order functions. | |
| // Somewhat simple because it abstracts iteration from combining things so you | |
| // only have to think about one at a time. Although it requires a starting | |
| // value that makes sense for the operation. | |
| // --- | |
| // Have a list of things that already know what starting value makes sense and | |
| // already know how to add themselves together. | |
| const fold = M => xs => xs.reduce((acc, x) => acc.concat(x), M.empty()) | |
| const Sum = val => ({ val, concat: x => Sum(val + x.val) }) | |
| Sum.empty = () => Sum(0) | |
| const sum3 = fold(Sum)([Sum(1), Sum(5), Sum(9)]) | |
| // Not easy because it requires knowledge of unusual, fairly abstract concepts | |
| // with unusual names (like monoid). | |
| // Simple because you do not have to concern yourself with the implementation | |
| // details at all when you use it. You can just Sum things without thought. | |
| // --- | |
| // Results. | |
| console.log({ sum1, sum2, sum3: sum3.val }) |
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