SCOUG-Programming Mailing List Archives

Date:	Sat, 8 Feb 2003 22:13:17 PST8
From:	Sheridan George <s-geo@usa.net >
Reply-To:	scoug-programming@scoug.com
To:	scoug-programming@scoug.com
Subject:	SCOUG-Programming: Back to basics

Content Type: text/plain

Lynn H. Maxson wrote:
> You just have to make the KISS principle work.
>
> The computer's address space is linear which we can
> represent as a series of periods: .........................................
>
> In programming we have to impose a non-linear form on top
> of a linear base. While that form can contain data as well as
> instructions, both of which look alike to the computer which

> Now if you didn't use files to support %include, instead if you
> used a database, you wouldn't need the %include to precede
> the name. You would use the name alone as the source
> statement. Now C allows this for procedures. If it didn't, you
> couldn't have "printf" or "listf". So why not allow it for
> control structures. The only difference is that you invoke
> them inline through replication (control structures) instead of
> out-of-line (procedures).
>
> The real answer, of course, lies in making smart editors even
> smarter. Then you only have one set of source code to view
> regardless of the number of viewing windows you have open.
>

I'm getting the religion. I'm finally seeing how the idea of using a database to store the "code
snippets" for use/reuse will work. And, if I understand correctly, one could likewise assemble the
documentation by collecting the proper set of "text names" and having the smarter editor display the
completed documentation. Cool.

Sheridan

PS Lynn, I think I found an article that seems to espouse a similar thought trend as yours. If you
have access to the March, 2003, issue of "Dr. Dobb's Journal" look at "XML-Based Programming Systems"
on page 16. (The subtitle is: "What will the next generation of programming languages look like.") I
think they are saying the same thing as you about the way programming is done vs. how it should be
done except the author is suggesting the use of an XML file instead of a database to hold code,
documentation, and metadata. You are at the head of the pack, sir.

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