Why isn't Rev more popular?

[Bill Marriott]

Oh yes! I totally agree...

Your example is in some ways more subtle, because the "correct" version 
still is what I would call "plain language" yet your observation is 
absolutely correct. "Advancing Transcript" would imply the compiler 
understanding more varied forms of expression than the ones established in 
1987. Much like "add" would need to grow from simple arithmetic to 
encompassing "adding" an XML node.

The real nut to crack is ambiguity.

if field 9 is visible

Could be true if "visible" is a variable, though of course the compiler 
should prevent you from ever using "visible" and other key words as a 
variable.

I just think the function example is especially egregious because this is 
clearly the direction RunRev is taking the language, and it's way far field 
from the original, visionary premise of HyperTalk. Functions are powerful, 
of course, but the parameters are never self-documenting and never plain 
language.

Bill

"Marty Billingsley" 
<marty at vertex.ucls.uchicago.edu> wrote in message 
news:Pine.GSO.4.58.0512021431090.25562 at vertex.ucls.uchicago.edu...
> "Bill Marriott" <runrev at wjm.org> writes:
>>
>> Well for reasons I may not be aware of, all the new commands seem to be 
>> in
>> the format, "revDoSomething" followed by parameters. Example:
>>
>>     revAddXMLNode treeID, parentPath, nodeName, nodeContents
>>
>> the official example:
>>
>>     revAddXMLNode 9,"/","Balls",""
>>
>> Why couldn't you say something like
>>
>>     add node "Balls" to the root path of XML tree id 9
>>
>> I'm not saying that is the exact perfect syntax, nor is it "compact," but 
>> it
>> would be super readable/self-documenting and easy to remember. This is 
>> what
>> I mean about advancing TransScript.
>
> Even simpler, why can't you say something like
> if image "picture" is visible ...
> instead of
> if the visible of image "picture" is true ...
>
> My (young) students find this difficult.  There are many ways in which
> Transcript could be even more english-like.
>
>  - marty
>
> --
> Marty Billingsley 
> (marty at ucls.uchicago.edu)
> The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools
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