Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!uunet!visix!news From: amanda@visix.com (Amanda Walker) Newsgroups: comp.object Subject: Re: Documenting OO Systems Message-ID: <1991Apr1.174233.2911@visix.com> Date: 1 Apr 91 17:42:33 GMT References: <9103070342.AA07462@.nextserver.cs.stthomas.edu.cs.stthomas.edu ..> <1114@tetrauk.UUCP> <271@orbit.gtephx.UUCP> <1991Mar26.170848.15936@visix.com> <521@tci.UUCP> >It all depends on the application, and how you define "superior." I'd >>rather do vector calculus with "cryptic" symbols than as word problems, >>for example :). jls@rutabaga.Rational.COM (Jim Showalter) writes: The last time I looked, APL was a VERY symbolic language. It has also been described as a WORN language (Write Once Read Never). Going down the path of pure symbolic notation not only hasn't proven out, [...] Whoa. Read my first sentence again: "It all depends on the application." Let's take your example of APL. There are a number of kinds of numerical processiing for which I think APL is very well suited. I sometimes say it's the best desk calculator I have ever used: it's great for certain kinds of work. For those kinds of work, it certainly has proven out, as can be shown by its continued viability. Sometimes you don't want a single tool that does everything-- you want a single tool that does one thing (or a few things) really well. APL, at least to me, falls into the second category. perhaps the idea of having a symbol for everything should be scrapped and replaced with the idea of having STRINGS for everything, since strings ARE infinitely descriptive. This would obviously work, but it seems to be throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Even "plain English" uses punctuation and other symbols in order to improve clarity, after all. Personally, I like the traditional Lisp approach of using strings, but allowing symbols to be used as shorthand (macros, etc.). This seems to work pretty well. -- Amanda Walker amanda@visix.com Visix Software Inc. ...!uunet!visix!amanda -- Courage is the willingness of a person to stand up for his beliefs in the face of great odds. Chutzpah is doing the same thing wearing a Mickey Mouse hat.