[Tfug] Language choices

Stephen Hooper stephen.hooper at gmail.com
Tue Oct 31 20:22:51 MST 2006


>
> It seems like newer languages rely more heavily
> on punctuation.  Perhaps because they try to cram
> more features/capabilities/flexibility into their
> syntax?
>

Bullsh*t :)

Name me one, and I will name you APL.

And anyways, I doubt that is the reason ... they probably just don't
expect people to spend a lot of time reading the code out loud.
Personally, I would find it silly to right things like "equals 1 plus
1", or even "add 1 to 1".

It is much harder to parse than what we all learned from grade school: "1 + 1".

Your example of "object dot method", also could shed some light on
things.  You hardly ever spend time writing code to be read by a
computer.  You spend your time writing code to be read by a human:
the computer is quite happy with 01011010 (which I believe would be
x86 machine for nop, but don't quote me on that).

A period on the on the other hand is a clear sign of importance, is
easily visible, and makes a relationship between two pieces of
something clear: 1.1001.

Maybe that is why it is done.

> Yes, it's an option.  I have been hoping to find
> some obscure little language (perhaps owing its
> obscurity to the fact that it is NOT as expressive
> as other languages!) that would fit the bill...

Seriously dude... did you look at Logo? ;)




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