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Date:	Thu, 15 May 2003 17:01:20 PDT7
From:	"Dave Watson" <david.watson@earthlink.net >
Reply-To:	scoug-programming@scoug.com
To:	scoug-programming@scoug.com
Subject:	SCOUG-Programming: A slight pause

Content Type: text/plain

On 15 May 2003 at 14:29, Peter Skye wrote:
> You realize not everyone shares your view on this . . . :))

I'm sure Peter realizes not everyone's views matter. Some don't
realize that. Their views don't matter, either. Present company
excluded, of course...

> Why not write an English language parser that will take an English
> language problem and translate it into any number of "programming
> languages"? WHY NOT, I say. If the parser needs a clarification then
> it can stop and ask.

That's the trick. How does the parser know when it needs a
clarification? Problem with all current languages is all too often they're
quite willing to proceed with the wrong thing. Even worse, when the
programs act confused (whether they know it or not) it's always the
case that they were led astray by a higher order parser -- a human
programmer.

The language is just a tool. There are little advantages and
disadvantages to all of them. It seems to me that the issue is not
about language, but is about complexity and how we deal with it. I
don't know if we want to pursue the unlikely inspiration that could lead
to new languages. But then, I'm probably the worst programmer on
the list so my view shouldn't matter...

I had an discussion with a person in my office today, a person of
Mexican descent who knows no spanish, about the value of knowing
more than one language. I asserted that a second language is a
luxury for people with nothing more useful to do, and in a rational world
everyone would just stick with english. She didn't agree, reinforcing
my views...

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