Re: Languages that are hard to parse

Hans-Peter Diettrich <DrDiettrich@compuserve.de>
20 May 2005 16:06:13 -0400

          From comp.compilers
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Re: Languages that are hard to parse DrDiettrich@compuserve.de (Hans-Peter Diettrich) (2005-05-18)
Re: Languages that are hard to parse gah@ugcs.caltech.edu (glen herrmannsfeldt) (2005-05-18)
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Re: Languages that are hard to parse gah@ugcs.caltech.edu (glen herrmannsfeldt) (2005-05-22)
Re: Languages that are hard to parse Satyam@satyam.com.ar (Satyam) (2005-05-22)
Re: Languages that are hard to parse DrDiettrich@compuserve.de (Hans-Peter Diettrich) (2005-05-22)
Re: Languages that are hard to parse dot@dotat.at (Tony Finch) (2005-05-24)
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[5 later articles]
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From: Hans-Peter Diettrich <DrDiettrich@compuserve.de>
Newsgroups: comp.compilers
Date: 20 May 2005 16:06:13 -0400
Organization: Compilers Central
References: 05-05-119 05-05-125 05-05-147 05-05-155 05-05-166
Keywords: parse
Posted-Date: 20 May 2005 16:06:13 EDT

glen herrmannsfeldt wrote:


> To me, reserved words are used to make parsing easier, and not to
> make programs easier to write.


Reserved words also make programs easier to read (understand). Not
only to parsers.


DoDi
[But they make them far harder to write. The reason that PL/I doesn't have
reserved words is that COBOL has a huge list, so that programmers either
need to keep a chart of them on the office wall to consult every time they
invent a new name, or be sure every name includes a hyphen or digit to
be sure it doesn't collide with one. -John]




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