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: f4fd2,626a0a064b320310 X-Google-Attributes: gidf4fd2,public X-Google-Thread: 103376,ea8ea502d35ca2ce X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-Thread: 114809,626a0a064b320310 X-Google-Attributes: gid114809,public X-Google-Thread: 1164ba,626a0a064b320310 X-Google-Attributes: gid1164ba,public X-Google-Thread: 10259a,626a0a064b320310 X-Google-Attributes: gid10259a,public X-Google-Thread: 103d24,626a0a064b320310 X-Google-Attributes: gid103d24,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2001-05-16 11:22:10 PST Path: archiver1.sj.google.com!newsfeed.google.com!sn-xit-03!supernews.com!newsfeed.wirehub.nl!news.maxwell.syr.edu!newsfeed.icl.net!newsfeeds.belnet.be!news.belnet.be!news2.euro.net!newsfeed.iae.nl!news.tue.nl!stephan From: stephan@pcrm.win.tue.nl () 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: 16 May 2001 18:19:02 GMT Organization: Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands Message-ID: References: <9cukad$nn68@news-dxb> <9d6b6e$1bt$1@nh.pace.co.uk> <87snihxiwc.fsf@frown.here> <9dbi83$sji$1@nh.pace.co.uk> <87heyu7cqd.fsf@frown.here> <9dc20p$hh15e$1@ID-37382.news.dfncis.de> <9dclnt$9ic1@news.cis.okstate.edu> <3B02C05B.BA4B63C6@raytheon.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: pcrm.win.tue.nl User-Agent: slrn/0.9.5.7 (UNIX) Xref: archiver1.sj.google.com comp.lang.ada:7580 comp.lang.lisp:10170 comp.lang.smalltalk:9731 comp.lang.functional:5676 comp.lang.scheme:3851 comp.lang.perl:2782 Date: 2001-05-16T18:19:02+00:00 List-Id: On Wed, 16 May 2001 13:00:59 -0500, Robert Posey wrote: >I agree, no modern program works anything like natural language, and while >reserved word and functions should resemble a natural language summary, >real natural language would be useless as a programing tool. The most serious effort to create a programming language that "imitates natural language" is called COBOL. 'Nuf said. Stephan >Do you really want to have to explain a function like printf using standard English. Do you want to explain it at all? ;-) >I also would >never want a student to be able to ignore what type of number they are using, its >very bad practice in most cases. COBOL has lots of interesting numerical types, such as fixed-precision decimal numbers. Very useful for counting beans. I definitely nominate COBOL. It will have the added advantage that whatever comes next will look as an improvement. (OK, there's still INTERCAL). Stephan -- ir. Stephan H.M.J. Houben tel. +31-40-2474358 / +31-40-2743497 e-mail: stephanh@win.tue.nl