On Thu, Jul 21, 2011 at 12:26:15PM +0200, Thomas wrote:
I just wonder: Are typeclasses such an advanced feature that I'd better use alternatives wherever possible?
No. Typeclasses are a (relatively) straightforward, and quite useful, feature. Yitzchak was arguing that type classes are often overused by beginners, for purposes where other, better solutions exist. If you find yourself using type classes all over the place for everything then perhaps you are using them too much. But there is no need to avoid them completely, and certainly not because they are "too advanced". The obvious question you may be wondering is "well, when should I use them and when shouldn't I?" Unfortunately I can't answer that off the top of my head. Just read and write a lot of code, try out different ways of solving problems, and you'll start to get a feel for what works well and what doesn't. -Brent