Comments on: Blog backlog http://stevengharms.com/blog-backlog My Blog Sat, 14 Apr 2012 19:47:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Steven G. Harms http://stevengharms.com/blog-backlog/comment-page-1#comment-300 Steven G. Harms Tue, 07 Mar 2006 13:12:55 +0000 http://stevengharms.net/?p=604#comment-300 <p>Yes indeed I think the answer to your question is "both". On the one hand it is some sort of edict sprung from the head of the man, on the other hand, it is surprisingly absent in most programming languages' design.</p> <p>I'm sure he didn't think it up, but scripting languages have been going through a real shakedown in user use-ability.</p> <p>Perl is the freest, and frequently (can! I say only can!) become the most absolutely miserable to look at, as a human.</p> <p>Python tries to fix this with use of whitespace thus:</p> <p>|_____start</p> <p>is different from</p> <p>|____start</p> <p>or even</p> <p>|__start</p> <p>Many programmers think that whitespace sensitivity is particularly un-stylish. The alternative is using bracing ({}) which seems to make more sense to me.</p> <p>Ruby tries to fuse the two, using braces, not whitespace, but trying to make things pretty along the way. Thus, a Perl / Python hybrid.</p> <p>At the end of the day though, you learn one language you've learnt them all. At some level it's all just syntax.</p> Yes indeed I think the answer to your question is “both”. On the one hand it is some sort of edict sprung from the head of the man, on the other hand, it is surprisingly absent in most programming languages’ design.

I’m sure he didn’t think it up, but scripting languages have been going through a real shakedown in user use-ability.

Perl is the freest, and frequently (can! I say only can!) become the most absolutely miserable to look at, as a human.

Python tries to fix this with use of whitespace thus:

|_____start

is different from

|____start

or even

|__start

Many programmers think that whitespace sensitivity is particularly un-stylish. The alternative is using bracing ({}) which seems to make more sense to me.

Ruby tries to fuse the two, using braces, not whitespace, but trying to make things pretty along the way. Thus, a Perl / Python hybrid.

At the end of the day though, you learn one language you’ve learnt them all. At some level it’s all just syntax.

]]> By: person http://stevengharms.com/blog-backlog/comment-page-1#comment-299 person Tue, 07 Mar 2006 12:12:46 +0000 http://stevengharms.net/?p=604#comment-299 <p>I noted the Ruby philosophy. Is that an important new thought, or just a conceit of the designer?</p> I noted the Ruby philosophy. Is that an important new thought, or just a conceit of the designer?

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