From: Phillip Gawlowski Date: 2011-04-12T16:11:37+09:00 Subject: Re: functional paradigm taking over On Tue, Apr 12, 2011 at 8:18 AM, Kevin wrote: > Aren't all programs languages as the program describes a particular problem > or set of problems? Programs are solutions to problems. >  It seems that saying that a program is not a language > is a bit of an artificial distinction.  Mathematics is a language.  Ruby or > C++ are languages that can be used to construct entirely new languages. >  Even pictures can form the basis of language.  Every program that exists > possesses the vocabulary to deal with a given problem domain, so why bother > trying to claim that something like Excel does not have these qualities? >  Aside from adherence  to useless jargon of course. You are confusing computer science with linguistics. > As for issues like terseness, it isn't really a virtue at all. That you can > say or do more with less is not very important if people have a distinct bit > of trouble understanding what is being communicated.  The goal should be > clarity, not trying to condense everything into the fewest possible symbols, > ultimately to say that you could. That isn't a problem of terseness, but a problem of semantics, and how well something can be understood and learned. -- Phillip Gawlowski Though the folk I have met, (Ah, how soon!) they forget When I've moved on to some other place, There may be one or two, When I've played and passed through, Who'll remember my song or my face.