Hi Quintesse. Yes, it should be possible to write ...

2009-10-12T17:49:24.482-03:00

Hi Quintesse. Yes, it should be possible to write the code in the manner you propose, applying the pimp-my-library pattern to the Int and Calendar classes to add a format method to them. The repetition of ".format(...)" for each argument would be ugly, but not that much.

But, to be honest, practicality wasn't my main goal in this exercise. Foremost, because most of time I have to use printf (or .format) is in order to concatenate .toString()'s without any special formatting. The most elegant solution to this case seems to be plain variable interpolation, which sadly Scala lacks.

I'm not sure where the value is in this. One o...

2009-10-12T09:36:40.766-03:00

I'm not sure where the value is in this. One of the advantages of the original method, a single string with formatters, is that you can easily translate it for example. You just give the entire text to a translator and either tell them to leave the formatters alone, only moving them to their correct grammatical position in the sentence, or adjust the formatters to the local customs if necessary.
With your solution that possibility is completely gone.

I must also say I find it:
a) hardly readable, and
b) I don't see the advantage over something like this:

(133.7).format(0, 2) + " USD at " Calendar.getInstance().format(T)

(this is non-working code of course, but I'm sure something like this could be made)

Cheers

Comments on Rafael rambling: Type-safe printf in scala ‽

Hi Quintesse. Yes, it should be possible to write ...

I'm not sure where the value is in this. One o...