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From: ted@scc.UUCP (Ted Goldstein)
Newsgroups: net.lang
Subject: Re: Why do languages become popular?
Message-ID: <344@scc.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 30-Jan-85 00:57:00 EST
Article-I.D.: scc.344
Posted: Wed Jan 30 00:57:00 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 31-Jan-85 01:45:33 EST
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Organization: Santa Cruz Computer, Inc, Aptos, Calif.
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> Ease of implementing.

I gotta agree with you. I would say that ease of implementation 
is most important to the student community.  If a graduate or
bright under-grad student can implement a language
in a couple of quarters or a semester, than its a sure bet some 
Prof will have the undergraduates doing homework in it. 

Extensible languages are always popular. LISP and FORTH are the
two best examples.  Though many Algol-nics (all us C and Passquirrel-ers)
may consider extensibility as the inherent flaw in LISP and FORTH,
an extensible language never becomes out-dated. They have this
amoeba like property which absorbs whatever new programming
methodologies come along. For example, every modern LISP has 
Structured Flow-of-control constructs, and quite a few have object-oriented
hierarchical inheritence and modular programming.

The only thing that extensible languages seem to lack is syntax.
Actually, theres a thought.  Anyone know of an experimental extensible
language with complex syntax?


				Ted Goldstein,
				Freelance Consultant
				Santa Cruz, California
				(408) 662 - 3112


-- 

Ted Goldstein,
Freelance Consultant
Santa Cruz, California
(408) 662 - 3112