From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,4961da398a273222 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 1995-02-09 16:00:59 PST Path: swrinde!news.uh.edu!uuneo.neosoft.com!Starbase.NeoSoft.COM!not-for-mail From: dweller@Starbase.NeoSoft.COM (David Weller) Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Ada self-referential operators Date: 9 Feb 1995 17:52:52 -0600 Organization: NeoSoft Internet Services +1 713 684 5969 Message-ID: <3he9sk$lsf@Starbase.NeoSoft.COM> References: <3gnkjb$gso@miranda.gmrc.gecm.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: starbase.neosoft.com Date: 1995-02-09T17:52:52-06:00 List-Id: This has all been a very interesting discussion (as well as the Subtract C, Add Ada thread). One thing we seem to leave out is how we _read_. The issue isn't whether we can resolve a symbol, but whether our minds can successfully integrate the symbol into something meaningful as we read. That's part of the reason why Ada shuns clever stuff like in C (the ever present while(*p++=*q++) comes to mind). It's not that we can understand what's going on -- the above example is obvious to anybody who has a half-assed knowledge of C -- the issue is, what's the chance of us skipping or misinterpreting a symbol? The more closely aligned a computer language is to our natural language, the higher the chance of "complete" comprehension. Mind you, I"m not equating "complete" comprehension with verification of logical paths (which is another matter entirely). Ada, because it typically avoids symbols, has a higher "readability" level than C (not to mention the fact that Ada is case insensitive, a another critical "readability" issue). This doesn't imply that Ada is automatically _more_ readable than a C (or C++) program, merely that it _can_ be (and typically is) more readable. Modula is another language that leans in this direction. Ah, well, enough cognitive philosophy for one day. -- Frustrated with C, C++, Pascal, Fortran? Ada95 _might_ be for you! For all sorts of interesting Ada95 tidbits, run the command: "finger dweller@starbase.neosoft.com | more" (or e-mail with "finger" as subj.)