Why isn't Rev more popular?

[Charles Hartman]

Yes of course, so would I. But I suggest that the "natural language"  
feature is much more a mnemonic aid than an aid to initial  
comprehension. And if that's true, then (as my own experience seems  
to be) the advantages of it aren't really for the rank beginner, as  
we sometimes think, but for people who've gotten somewhat farther up  
the learning curve. (Not that it matters much.)

Charles


On Dec 2, 2005, at 8:45 PM, Scott Rossi wrote:

> Recently, Charles Hartman wrote:
>
>> As a Prof. of English and long-time amateur programmer (but if you
>> say "hobbyist" in my vicinity I'll bristle) I have to say that I find
>> the effort toward "English-like" syntax the *least* attractive aspect
>> of Transcript -- if only because it's potentially the most
>> misleading: it can make a beginner think the flexibility of a natural
>> language is available & then feel hurt & bewildered that it isn't.
>> (For an example, port a Hypercard stack to Rev and look how many
>> errors pop up that have to be solved by inserting "the" where
>> Hypertalk didn't require it.)
>
> I don't know, Charles.  Being a design-as-a-first-language,
> programming-as-a-second-language person, it's *because* of  
> TransScript's
> English like syntax that I can get anywhere in the environment.
>
> I'd much rather do this:
>
>  answer the detailed files
>
>
> Than this:
>
> #include <iostream.h>
> #include <TROOT.h>
> #include <TObjString.h>
>
> void read_name_all_files(TList* ptList, char* wildcard = "*")
> {
>   TString tStrCmd("/usr/bin/ls -1pa ");
>   tStrCmd.Append(wildcard);
>   tStrCmd.Append(" 2> /dev/null");
>
>   char buf[BUFSIZ];
>   FILE *ptr;
>
>   if ((ptr = popen(tStrCmd.Data(), "r")) != NULL) {
>     while (fgets(buf, BUFSIZ, ptr) != NULL) {
> #ifdef DEBUG_LEVEL_2
>       fprintf(stdout,"%s", buf);
> #endif
>       // cut the last character (which is '\n')
>       int len=strlen(buf);
>       buf[len-1] = '\0';
>       // add to list
>       ptList->Add(new TObjString(buf));
>     }
>     pclose(ptr);
>   }
> }
>
>
> int main(int argc, char **argv)
> {
>   TList tListFileNames;
>   read_name_all_files(&tListFileNames,"*");
>
>   cout << "Directory:\n" ;
>   TIter tIter(&tListFileNames);
>   TObjString* ptStr;
>   while( ptStr = (TObjString*) tIter.Next() ) {
>     cout << ptStr->GetName() << "\n" ;
>   }
>   return EXIT_SUCCESS;
> }
>
>
> But hey, that's just me.
>
> Regards,
>
> Scott Rossi
> Creative Director
> Tactile Media, Multimedia & Design
> -----
> E: scott at tactilemedia.com
> W: http://www.tactilemedia.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> use-revolution mailing list
> use-revolution at lists.runrev.com
> Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your  
> subscription preferences:
> http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution