[sbpayne]

YES. 100x yes to this. I started a new job some time ago where Java / Scala were mainly used (prior C++ background).

I can logically step through flow control and figure most things out. Except the amount of "magic" for the sake of reducing boiler plate made debugging some issues really tricky.

Anytime I'm about to reduce boiler plate somehow, I try to ask myself whether it's going to introduce some type of tribal knowledge. That is, will someone without any knowledge of e.g. this codegen be able to step through and understand what's going on.

I feel that people reduce boiler plate without constraints far too often