Re: Languages that are hard to parse

Hans-Peter Diettrich <DrDiettrich@compuserve.de> wrote:
>Okay, I didn't realize the problems resulting from a huge number of
>keywords. OTOH languages with few keywords, like C, can come with a
>huge library, containing "predefined" words. Is it really easier to
>remember the symbols defined in every #included header file, and if so
>- why?
>
>[I think that C's library names are easier to deal with than COBOL
>reserved words because you only need to be aware of the names in the
>libraries you use, while in COBOL you have to avoid reserved words
>even from parts of the language that you don't know and never
>use. -John]


In addition to that, the compiler error message from a conflicting
declaration is likely to be more helpful than a syntax error arising
from a misplaced keyword. The declaration probably doesn't even count
as conflicting if it occurs within an inner scope - though in C you
can break that advantage of libraries by defining macros in your
headers.


Tony.
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