Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!ncar!gatech!udel!haven.umd.edu!socrates.umd.edu!socrates!rockwell From: rockwell@socrates.umd.edu (Raul Rockwell) Newsgroups: comp.lang.misc Subject: Re: What value is there in programs as data? Message-ID: Date: 29 Jun 91 16:47:33 GMT References: <4623@optima.cs.arizona.edu> <610@smds.UUCP> Sender: rockwell@socrates.umd.edu (Raul Rockwell) Organization: Traveller Lines: 23 In-Reply-To: rh@smds.UUCP's message of 29 Jun 91 08: 39:33 GMT Richard Harter: Can someone cite some examples where data=program is essential. The canonical examples are: (1) creation of development tools (e.g. debuggers, optimizers, archival systems). (2) symbolic math packages. I'm not sure if these show that data=program is essential, but then data and control flow are just two aspects of the same thing. I think the best argument for a language which can manipulate its own code is Von Neumann's: you can develop faster if you can use the machine to manipulate your code. Another argument is robustness of data structures: such a language must have an adequate set of data structure primitives. Enough said? -- Raul