Re: language design after Algol 60, was Add nested-function support

On Tue, 10 Apr 2018 16:11:29 +0100, Martin Ward <martin@gkc.org.uk>
wrote:


[some neat stuff which Our Esteemed Moderator comments on]


>[In fairness, a lot of the 700 pages of the C standard are about
>the library. In my copy of C99, pages 9-163 are about the
>language, pages 164-401 are about the library, and then there's
>about 150 pages of appendices. But it's certainly a lot bigger
>than the language that K&R wrote about in the 1970s. -John]


          I propose Gene's Language Heuristic:


    1) Take the specification for the language and print a hardcover
book of it. (Apply reasonable rules for font size, etc.)


    2) Pick up the book.


    3) If you are unable to do so, call dispose.


    4) Whack the language creator hard on the head with the hardcover
book.


    5) Did you kill him?


    6) If yes, call dispose.


    7) Did you incapacitate him?


    8) If yes, hope really hard that he gives up his antisocial
practices of language creation. End of heuristic.


    9) Seek treatment for shock.


  10) Warily, learn the language. End of heuristic.




procedure dispose


          Dispose of the book, the language, and the language creator.
(Exactly how is not defined by this heuristic. If you have had to do
this before, consider reusing that method.)




          There are too many languages that are too similar.


Sincerely,


Gene Wirchenko

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