MonkeeSage wrote:
> 

[snippage]

Overall I don't disagree with you. ;)

> Now I don't know if Dave Thomas used the expression "duck typing"
> differently than others generally do, leading to it having a different
> nuance in the ruby community; or if perhaps the community didn't
> understand Mr. Thomas; or some combination of the two (or, as a third
> alternative, the community doesn't generally have that notion of "duck
> typing"). 

One thing I'm wondering is: Is there any evidence that this term
originated *other than* with Dave Thomas?

Certainly it's known outside the Ruby community now, but didn't the
term originate *within* the community?

Not that it matters really. AFAIK Dave himself doesn't claim to have
coined the term. And I take it for granted that the concept is older
than the term.

> So, in colloquial terms, I see no reason why "ask if it walks like a
> duck before you believe its a duck" should be a violation of "duck
> typing" any more than "expect it to walk like a duck but don't believe
> its a duck if it doesn't".

I *think* that most people (me, anyway) perceive that checking type
is antithetical to the spirit of duck typing.

I'm not adamant about it. And I do perform this kind of checking
sometimes (gasp!).


Cheers,
Hal