3. The syntax of implicit definitions is too minimal. It consists of a single modifier, `implicit`, that can be attached to a large number of language constructs. A problem with this for newcomers is that it conveys mechanism instead of intent. For instance, a typeclass instance is an implicit object or val if unconditional and an implicit def with implicit parameters referring to some class if conditional. This describes precisely what the implicit definitions translate to -- just drop the `implicit` modifier, and that's it! But the cues that define intent are rather indirect and can be easily misread, as demonstrated by the definitions of `i1` and `i2` above.
0 commit comments