Dynamic

Algebraic Data Types vs Interfaces

Developers should learn ADTs to write more robust, maintainable, and type-safe code, especially when modeling complex data domains such as state machines, ASTs, or business logic with multiple variants meets developers should learn and use interfaces to create modular, maintainable, and testable code by decoupling implementation from abstraction. Here's our take.

🧊Nice Pick

Algebraic Data Types

Developers should learn ADTs to write more robust, maintainable, and type-safe code, especially when modeling complex data domains such as state machines, ASTs, or business logic with multiple variants

Algebraic Data Types

Nice Pick

Developers should learn ADTs to write more robust, maintainable, and type-safe code, especially when modeling complex data domains such as state machines, ASTs, or business logic with multiple variants

Pros

  • +They are essential for functional programming paradigms, reducing runtime errors by encoding invariants at compile-time, and are widely used in areas like compiler design, data validation, and API design
  • +Related to: functional-programming, type-systems

Cons

  • -Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Interfaces

Developers should learn and use interfaces to create modular, maintainable, and testable code by decoupling implementation from abstraction

Pros

  • +They are essential in scenarios like dependency injection, plugin architectures, and API design, where multiple implementations need to adhere to a common specification
  • +Related to: object-oriented-programming, abstraction

Cons

  • -Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

Use Algebraic Data Types if: You want they are essential for functional programming paradigms, reducing runtime errors by encoding invariants at compile-time, and are widely used in areas like compiler design, data validation, and api design and can live with specific tradeoffs depend on your use case.

Use Interfaces if: You prioritize they are essential in scenarios like dependency injection, plugin architectures, and api design, where multiple implementations need to adhere to a common specification over what Algebraic Data Types offers.

🧊
The Bottom Line
Algebraic Data Types wins

Developers should learn ADTs to write more robust, maintainable, and type-safe code, especially when modeling complex data domains such as state machines, ASTs, or business logic with multiple variants

Disagree with our pick? nice@nicepick.dev