Disruptive Software // Beyond Coding #15 - Patrick Akil with Kevlin Henney

Language Evolution

The evolution of programming languages reveals a fascinating journey from past innovations to present-day applications. Patrick Akil highlights how concepts like microservices, once impractical, have become feasible due to advancements in hardware and infrastructure 1. He notes that many ideas, such as garbage collection and interpreted languages like Python, were envisioned decades ago but only recently became practical 1. Kevlin Henney adds that while languages appear to be evolving rapidly, they often incorporate existing ideas rather than introducing groundbreaking concepts 2.

The difference is this language didn't have that before, but that already existed somewhere else.

--- Kevlin Henney

This trend underscores the conservative nature of programming language development, where change is more about adaptation than innovation.

   

Innovation Cycles

Programming languages undergo cycles of innovation that reflect both technological advancements and historical influences. Patrick Akil observes that while new languages like Julia and Rust are celebrated, they often recycle older concepts, such as coroutines and channels, which date back decades 3. Kevlin Henney points out that despite the rapid development of software infrastructure, the core principles of programming languages remain largely unchanged 4.

Most of what they're doing is catching up with the past. And there aren't any new... flavors.

--- Patrick Akil

This cyclical nature of innovation suggests that while languages evolve, they do so by revisiting and refining past ideas rather than pioneering entirely new paradigms.

   

Conservative Progress

Despite the apparent rapid changes, programming languages exhibit a conservative approach to evolution. Patrick Akil argues that languages are often updated with features already present in others, leading to a homogenization of language capabilities 2. He criticizes the lack of imagination in user interaction design, noting that social media apps, for instance, rely heavily on timeline structures without significant innovation 5.

Programming languages, oh my goodness, they move like snails.

--- Patrick Akil

This conservative progress indicates a focus on stability and familiarity, potentially at the expense of creativity and novel user experiences.