Re: The pulse of the Nation (Was: Please vote for Syntax check in /FREE!)

... The personal slight aside, I showed a perfectly legitimate and easy to
understand example considering dates:

monthString = getMonth( dateField );
monthString = getMonth( timestampField );
monthNumber = getMonth( dateField );
monthNumber = getMonth( timestampField );

Based on name, parameter list, and return value there are FOUR distinct
signatures here.  To implement this using current technologies you would
need four distinct procedures:

monthString = getMonthStringFromDate( dateField );
monthString = getMonthStringFromTimestamp( timestampField );
monthNumber = getMonthNumberFromDate( dateField );
monthNumber = getMonthNumberFromTimestamp( timestampField );

You say this doesn't show a business case? In all four of these
procedures the logic is essentially identical, so what you are
suggesting is that having four copies of the same essential logic is
somehow better than having a single set of logic with four entry
methods. From a maintenance standpoint I'd rather have one piece of
code to maintain rather than four. ...