[jdom-interest] Default for getChildText?

[Patrick Dowler]

On 03 April 2002 12:57, Garrett Zork wrote:
> One of the convenience methods I had placed into a utility
> class was the getAttributeValue with a default value, described
> below.  Other methods that JDOM users commonly code into
> a utility class include:
>
>  - getIntAttributeValue and setIntAttribute value - also
>    with a default value for the get.  While I certainly
>    don't see the need for float/double/String versions of
>    this, I don't need practice with parseInt and valueOf.

But I actually use float and double WAY more than int!! Waaahhhh!!!

I want getFloatAttributeValue()!
I want getDoubleAttributeValue()!!
I want getDateAttributeValue()!!!

What about getDateInFunkyFormat() ??

I want getTheThingIWantDespiteAnExistingJava2SDKMethod()!!!!  :-)

Does it ever end? You can't just say "int is useful, forget the rest". What
about "money"??

>  - readDocument, writeDocument.  These would obviously fit
>    nicely in the Document class.
>
> A good API is solid, stable and convenient not pretty.

For some reason the lyrics "she ain't pretty - she just looks that way" came into my
head. I have no idea how it relates to this topic. Maybe it's what encapsulation is
all about....

-- 
Patrick Dowler
Canadian Astronomy Data Centre
National Research Council
Victoria, BC