What is the opposite of "idiomatic", as in idiomatic code?

What is the opposite of "idiomatic", other than not idiomatic? Is there a concise way of expressing this concept or describing such a code?

Solution 1:

Unconventional or even simply, non-idiomatic.

By idiomatic, you refer to code that conforms to the standards of the language. If you are using non-conventional code, you do not fully conform to the language but instead somehow write a code to accomplish the task at hand.

In technical circles, it is safe to stick to non-idiomatic, because in that case, people knowing the technical definition of idiomatic will be clear about the intention.

Solution 2:

Idiosyncratic derives from the same Greek roots as idiomatic but has an opposite connotation. Both refer to peculiarity, but where idiom is a usage that has become customary in a community, idiosyncrasy is an individual quirk.

Solution 3:

If I understand your question, you are looking for a term that describes code that would be implemented in such a way that few programmers would recognize.

A programming term that is used is anti-pattern, namely a practice that is the opposite of what the Gang of Four recommend. (I am thinking where an iterator pattern is called for, but the programmer uses, say, a numeric index instead. However, I can also imagine idiomatic code that would fall into an anti-pattern.)

If you're looking for a more generic adjective, then perhaps atypical, unconventional, or egregious might suit.

Solution 4:

I would suggest "uncharacteristic", "atypical", or possibly "foreign".