Why is Konfabulator "Pretty?"

[Rob Cozens]

Bill, Richard, et al:

>However, the JavaScript file to run the Konfabulator clock is in fact only
>9,280 bytes.
>
>Further, any code comparisons between this and the Revolution
>implementations should consider equal feature comparisons:

As I noted in Re: English-like nature of Transcript ?:

>Humans in general tend to strive for "efficiency

And the tendency is to judge program efficiency on the basis of the 
number of lines of code required to accomplish a prescribed 
task.  The premise is "shorter is better."

In recent years, however, some of these programming comparisons have 
taken a more realistic tack:

* Programming the original solution is only the first stage of the 
competition, and amounts to 30% or less of the total score.

* In Stage Two, the specifications for the software are changed, and 
each participant is given some other contestant's code to 
modify.  The majority of the final score is based on the time it 
takes to _modify_ the original source to meet the new specification, 
not the number of lines in the modified software.

Code length comparisons alone no longer impress me very much.

Rob Cozens CCW
Serendipity Software Company

"And I, which was two fooles, do so grow three;
  Who are a little wise, the best fooles bee."

  from "The Triple Foole" by John Donne (1572-1631)