On Aug 16, 12:05 pm, Peter Keller <psil...@merlin.cs.wisc.edu> wrote: > In comp.lang.scheme Xah Lee <xah...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Xah's Edu Corner: The importance of syntax & notations. > > >http://www.stephenwolfram.com/publications/recent/mathml/mathml_abstr... > > > this article should teach the coding sophomorons and computer > > ?science? idiotic authors who harbor the notion that syntax is not > > important, picked up by all the elite i-reddit & twittering & hacker > > news am-hip dunces. > > I must have really tweaked you with my "Syntax is not important, ideas are." > statement. > > I read Wolfram's article carefully. He applies an intuitive sense onto > why he does or doesn't like a particular notation, but yet can't really > elucidate his feelings.
Exactly; and as far as I can determine, Knuth does the same. He applies standards of *good taste* to his notation. (No surprise that he's also singled out for vituperation by the OP.) In my opinion Knuth believed in the value of literate programming for similar reasons: To try to exploit existing cognitive training. If your user base is familiar with English, or mathematical notation, or some other lexicography, try to exploit the pre-wired associations. Clearly this involves some intuition. > ... > Thank you. > > -pete -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
