Re: Programming?

[Bruce Smith <bruce@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> >>>It's nothing like any programming languages used today (other than a
> >>>few oddball applications still using APL).
> >>I don't understand the the use of the term "oddball". Is e-commerce oddball?
> >>Personnel systems? Banking? Manufacturing? Financial modeling? Insurance?
> >Is the word "nitch" better?
> I don't know... niche?

Yup, I'm a bad speller, and my spell check couldn't guess that one.

Maybe I'd should start using APL, since it doesn't resemble english
in any shape or form!

> >My point is:  if there was a pie chart of number of active programs
> >in the world broken down by programming language, I'd bet APL would
> >be in the < 1% slice.
> 
> >Most places don't use it, and they never have!
> But Bruce, you can STILL make the same statement about LINUX, and lots of
> other products.

Linux is a new Unix variant.  Unix is proven and popular.
APL doesn't resemble any programming language I've ever seen.

> One of the interesting things about the Linux community is that tools with
> merit are looked at and used, regardless of how "popular" they are. Sometimes
> Linux allows people to take a new look at a tool, and the people taking that
> look have a fresh perspective. Where would PERL be without Linux? Tk? Tcl?
> You can bet that at one time "Most places" didn't use these tools either, and
> some of these tools would even exist without the Free Software movement in
> general, and Linux in particular.

I've seen a lot of tools like PERL used on Unix before I knew Linux existed.

> >I think a FIRST programming language should be something that's
> >commonly found in most workplaces, or at least vaguely resemble
> >a common programming language.  APL doesn't look like any other
> >programming language I've ever seen.
> Ah, here is one place where we differ. I feel that the first programming
> language one takes up is best chosen for it's ability to support the
> novice programmer, allow that person to focus on some things and not others.
> I have some fairly definite ideas about what those things are; program design,
> algorithm construction, logic and execution flow, re-use of components, modular
> programming, time-storage tradeoffs, interface design and development, and
> version control.
> 
> Once you've learned those things, you're ready for more, perhaps more mundane
> topics, and additional disciplines. The benefits and economics of declarations
> are clearer when you move from a declaration-free environment to something that
> requires them., for example.  I claim that you'll have a deeper understanding
> and appreciation for other practices that are imposed by different programming
> systems; they won't merely be dictated to you.

I see learning APL before other programming languages, like
learning Latin before learning Chinese.  

(I'm assuming for that analogy that Chinese isn't based on Latin 
like some other languages are, but I don't really know that for sure).

--------------------------------------------
Bruce Smith                bruce@armintl.com
System Administrator / Network Administrator
Armstrong International, Inc.
Three Rivers, Michigan  49093  USA
http://www.armstrong-intl.com/
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