"My current theory is that programming is quite literally writing."

Post by btilly » Wed, Jun 08, 2011, 9:48 PM UTC

scythe wrote: post #148

SlyShy wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just curious, is that taken from an actual language? Because I've wanted a feature like that for ages.

It exists in Ruby: [socket, window, file].each{|item| item.close()} http://codepad.org/GqNp94Iw It sort-of exists in Lisp-inspired languages (anything from Arc to Lua to Io) with appropriate boilerplate, for example: function apply(tbl, func) for key, val in ipairs(tbl) do func(val) end end apply({socket, window, file}, function (item) item.close() end) http://codepad.org/SNWO1Y6K

Post by ubernostrum » Wed, Jun 08, 2011, 9:57 PM UTC

RyanMcGreal wrote: post #111

glhaynes wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Translation?

"Yes, delivery. We can do it." Edit: - I should point out that the French word for delivery is livraison ; but like most languages, day-to-day Quebecois French is porous enough to borrow words from other languages where expedience warrants. Hence le week-end (not le fin-de-semaine ), frencher (to French kiss), etc. As a further digression, I should point out that it seems less common (i.e. less acceptable) to drop an…

Post by vorg » Wed, Jun 08, 2011, 10:30 PM UTC

SlyShy wrote: post #144

vorg wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Better prose is: "He rushed to the exit, leaped down the stairs, and ran for the train." Better programming is to factor out the action: [socket, window, file]*.close()

Just curious, is that taken from an actual language? Because I've wanted a feature like that for ages.

    class A{
      def close(){println "closed"}
    }
    def a1= new A()
    def a2= new A()
    [a1, a2]*.close()

Post by vorg » Wed, Jun 08, 2011, 10:44 PM UTC

william42 wrote: post #105

vorg wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The fewer ways to express something, the better. Your last sentence could be rewritten "It is better to express things in as few ways as possible", or "Having fewer ways to express something is better". English, however, allows you to omit the main verb for the causation in a parallel construction, you were able to write it shorter, and with a 3-syllable climax after a pause at the end for effect. Shouldn't program…

No, because that makes it harder to understand what it's doing. Remember that programming languages are not learned at a very young age and continuously trained for decades the way natural languages are.

Post by gommm » Wed, Jun 08, 2011, 10:56 PM UTC

RyanMcGreal wrote: post #111

glhaynes wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Translation?

"Yes, delivery. We can do it." Edit: - I should point out that the French word for delivery is livraison ; but like most languages, day-to-day Quebecois French is porous enough to borrow words from other languages where expedience warrants. Hence le week-end (not le fin-de-semaine ), frencher (to French kiss), etc. As a further digression, I should point out that it seems less common (i.e. less acceptable) to drop an…