Update on String Templates (JEP 459)

[Mark Reinhold]

2024/3/19 14:33:20 -0400, brian.goetz at oracle.com:
>>> Here I set forth your three examples with new names that are related
>>> to those already used in the existing preview implementation of
>>> StringTemplate in JDK 21 (and JDK 22—I just checked). I do this not to
>>> suggest that these other names should be used, but only in the hopes
>>> of reducing confusion as we begin this discussion. Later we can decide
>>> whether the names “process” and “interpolate” and “combine” should be
>>> changed (possibly all into the same single name).
>>> 
>>>     // on String
>>>     static String process(StringTemplate)    // previously STR
>>> 
>>>     // on StringTemplate
>>>     String interpolate()                             // STR, instance/suffix version
>>>     static StringTemplate combine(StringTemplate...) // + for string templates
>> 
>> Maybe I’m missing something, but: Why do we need both `String::process`
>> and `StringTemplate::interpolate`?  What are the use cases?
> 
> For a similar reason we currently have String::valueOf(int) and 
> Integer::toString(int). In some use cases, the "prefix" usage (static 
> method) feels more natural, whereas in others, the "suffix" usage 
> (instance method) feels more natural.
> 
> Even if we end up with only one, I would rather not bias towards "of 
> course it is the static version" at this early point; I am trying to 
> sketch out scope right now.

Ah, so you’re really asking not about these three methods (modulo
naming) but about just two things, a way to interpolate a template and
a way to concatenate templates, and you consider the (not necessarily
bijective) mapping from those things to API points to be the bikeshed.

- Mark