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From: dgary@ecsvax.UUCP (D Gary Grady)
Newsgroups: net.lang.apl,net.lang.c,net.lang.lisp,net.lang.pascal,net.lang.mod2,net.lang.prolog,net.lang.st80
Subject: Re: Language Idioms
Message-ID: <708@ecsvax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 14-Feb-85 10:50:50 EST
Article-I.D.: ecsvax.708
Posted: Thu Feb 14 10:50:50 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 15-Feb-85 05:48:51 EST
References: <764@utcsrgv.UUCP>, <11450@watmath.UUCP>
Organization: Duke U Comp Ctr
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<>
> >      ...... I want to talk about programming idioms.
> > These are code sequences which produce some useful non-obvious result.
> 
> I react when I see the word ``idiom'' used this way.  To me, an idiom is a 
> set of works which, when combined, have a meaning that cannot be deduced 
> from the meanings of all of the constituent parts.

A common example of a programming "idiom" is the sequence

temp = var1;  var1 = var2;  var2 = temp;

for interchanging var1 and var2.  But the writer above is correct; this
isn't an "idiom" or even analogous to an idiom in the normal sense of
that word.  A better term might be "cliche."

I therefore propose that we discuss programming cliches...  :-)
-- 
D Gary Grady
Duke U Comp Center, Durham, NC  27706
(919) 684-3695
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