"When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.
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Syntax highlighting is juvenile. When I was a child, I was taught arithmetic using colored rods. I grew up and today I use monochromatic numerals." - Rob Pike
I hypothesised that syntax highlighting just had to provide some tangible benefits just because of how it allows the brain to process lots of information with a quick glance. After having witnessed a few geniuses work and swear by no syntax highlighting, I started to doubt my thesis, so thank you for linking the paper.
Maybe some people just perceive the syntax highlighting as cognitive overload although it's meant to achieve the exact opposite.
[..]
Syntax highlighting is juvenile. When I was a child, I was taught arithmetic using colored rods. I grew up and today I use monochromatic numerals." - Rob Pike