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: 107f24,626a0a064b320310 X-Google-Attributes: gid107f24,public X-Google-Thread: 10259a,626a0a064b320310 X-Google-Attributes: gid10259a,public X-Google-Thread: f4fd2,626a0a064b320310 X-Google-Attributes: gidf4fd2,public X-Google-Thread: 114809,626a0a064b320310 X-Google-Attributes: gid114809,public X-Google-Thread: 103376,ea8ea502d35ca2ce X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-Thread: 103d24,626a0a064b320310 X-Google-Attributes: gid103d24,public X-Google-Thread: 1164ba,626a0a064b320310 X-Google-Attributes: gid1164ba,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2001-05-09 10:23:41 PST Path: newsfeed.google.com!sn-xit-02!supernews.com!news.gv.tsc.tdk.com!falcon.america.net!sunqbc.risq.qc.ca!news.maxwell.syr.edu!newsfeed00.sul.t-online.de!newsmm00.sul.t-online.com!t-online.de!news.t-online.com!not-for-mail From: Friedrich Dominicus Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada,comp.lang.lisp,comp.lang.smalltalk,comp.lang.basic,comp.lang.functional,comp.lang.scheme,comp.lang.perl Subject: Re: Beginner's Language? Date: 09 May 2001 17:39:54 +0200 Organization: Q Software Solutions GmbH Message-ID: <87heyu7cqd.fsf@frown.here> References: <9cukad$nn68@news-dxb> <9d6b6e$1bt$1@nh.pace.co.uk> <87snihxiwc.fsf@frown.here> <9dbi83$sji$1@nh.pace.co.uk> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Trace: news.t-online.com 989422617 06 32415 1kS6SfMXSsHDhn 010509 15:36:57 X-Complaints-To: abuse@t-online.com X-Sender: 320004655587-0001@t-dialin.net User-Agent: Gnus/5.0808 (Gnus v5.8.8) XEmacs/21.1 (Capitol Reef) Xref: newsfeed.google.com comp.lang.ada:7386 comp.lang.lisp:9877 comp.lang.smalltalk:9634 comp.lang.functional:5593 comp.lang.scheme:3740 comp.lang.perl:2738 Date: 2001-05-09T17:39:54+02:00 List-Id: "Marin David Condic" writes: > > If you are familiar with Lisp, try this: Write a small program to read in a > couple of numbers from a keyboard, do some math with them and print the > result to the screen. Gosh, how much simpler as in Lisp can it be? No declarations, no puzzling about counting probably etc etc. > Now look at it. Could a neophite with literally *zero* > experience in programming computers read it and stand a chance of > understanding what it does or how it does it? yes, yes > Could a neophite duplicate it > easily or modify it to do something different? yes >Is it intuitively obvious to > even the most casual observer how to make a similar program? yes A beginner is not biased in any way and so it doe not matter what he/she started from. If he starts with Lisp; C, Java looks messy. If you start with C or Pascal or whatever imperative oo language is around Lisp will look messy. Regards Friedrich