> ... there's something that feels very unnatural about writing English as code.
I think it is ironic that you think Flaming Thunder is unnatural because it is more English-like, when being English-like was one of Python's goals: "Python was designed to be a highly readable language. It aims toward an uncluttered visual layout, using English keywords frequently where other languages use punctuation." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Python_(programming_language)#Syntax_and_semantics > Just using your "Set ... to" idiom, rather than a > regular = assignment, makes things much more wordy, without improving > readability. I think it does improve readability, especially for people who are not very fluent mathematically. Also, in Python how do you assign a symbolic equation to a variable? Like this? QuadraticEquation = a*x^2 + b*x + c = 0 Set statements avoid the confusion of multiple equal signs when manipulating symbolic equations: Set QuadraticEquation to a*x^2 + b*x + c = 0. On May 13, 9:50 am, "Dan Upton" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Tue, May 13, 2008 at 11:24 AM, Dave Parker > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > The "Flaming Thunder" looks promising, but without being free > > > software, it's unlikely it will create a large developer community, > > > specially considering both free general purpose and scientific > > > programming languages. > > > Perhaps. Flaming Thunder is only $19.95 per year for an individual > > (and even less per individual for site licenses), which is less than > > the cost of just one book on Python. > > Bah, subscription for a programming language? As far as I'm > concerned, that's reason enough not to bother with it. Paying a > one-time fee, or even once per upgrade, for a full-featured IDE and > lots of support tools is painful but at least justifiable, whereas > paying a yearly license just to even be able to try something out when > there are so many free, sufficient options... There was an article > on/in Wired not so long ago about the economics of free, and how > there's a huge difference mentally between free and not-free, even if > the practical difference is "free" and "$0.01." (Also, I assume > hdante meant, at least partly, free as in speech, not free as in > beer.) > > As an aside, I clearly haven't written anything in FT, but looking at > your examples I don't know that I would want to--there's something > that feels very unnatural about writing English as code. It also > somehow seems a bit verbose, while one of the strengths of something > like Python (since that's what you're comparing it to) is rapid > implementation. Just using your "Set ... to" idiom, rather than a > regular = assignment, makes things much more wordy, without improving > readability. Some of your other structures are awkward, for instance > "Something is a function doing" Again, more text with arguably no gain > in readability. > > Just my two cents, anyway. I now return you to the resident madman, > who I see has sent 4 or 5 messages while I was typing this one... -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
