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From: oz@yunexus.yorku.ca (Ozan Yigit)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.misc,comp.object
Subject: blip too. [Re: Dynamic typing -- To Have and Have Not ...]
Message-ID: <22075@yunexus.YorkU.CA>
Date: 20 Mar 91 18:41:46 GMT
References: <1991Mar16.052952.10201@cs.cmu.edu> <3523:Mar1803:21:0591@kramden.acf.nyu.edu> <22032@yunexus.YorkU.CA> <11820:Mar1923:59:3591@kramden.acf.nyu.edu>
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In article <see ref> brnstnd@kramden.acf.nyu.edu (Dan Bernstein) writes:

>Indeed, and I'm glad to hear that you've stopped beating your children.

I have no children, and likewise the suggested fallacy does not exist.
My observation is based on your past and present statements indicating
significant lack of insight into other programming languages you like 
to _talk_ about, e.g.:

| No. A machine is much more than its ``primitive datatypes.'' But Lisp
| doesn't even provide full access to pointers.

Imagine that! ;-)

>Of the languages that I've used much, I find Forth the most expressive.

Good for you. It must be all the nice syntax.

>			     I need fast compile times and run times so
>that the machine's turnaround time during testing and debugging doesn't
>become a significant part of my turnaround time.

Use the right compiler [and the right machine] for fast compile times,
right language for prototyping, and right environment for testing and
debugging. [yawn]

> I need language power: full access to what the machine can do.

You seem to be confusing language "power" with language "level".

> Lisp doesn't have any of this.

Is this "have" the same as your previously re-defined "have" to mean
something in relation to general computability, or is this something
more meaningful and useful?

>Actually, I have a reasonably good idea of what I'm talking about. My
>comments on dynamically typed languages are based not only on my
>experience but also on many objective and subjective articles by both
>detractors from and proponents of such languages.

Of course. Just as interesting, the neighbourhood cabbie was telling me
about how he gave a ride to Elvis, and he had witnesses to prove it. So?

>Would you write a compressor in a dynamically typed language?

Silly question, despite its answer. 1988, compress.lisp [UN*X compress in
Common Lisp] by Paul Fuqua, done.

oz
---
In seeking the unattainable, simplicity  |  Internet: oz@nexus.yorku.ca
only gets in the way. -- Alan J. Perlis  |  Uucp: utai/utzoo!yunexus!oz