compileIt for revolution?

[Dan Shafer]

If you can write externals in Transcript syntax and NOT over-extend  
the language to accommodate this demand, I don't have an issue. But  
that is not generally the case. When people talk about writing  
externals they generally (in my experience at least) mean they want  
to make the tool do something its built-in language does not  
inherently know how to do. There is in that desire a strong  
implication of adding features to the language that I believe will  
ultimately corrupt it to the point of not being accessible to mere  
mortals.

It's what I call the Javazation of Transcript. If you have a need for  
something in a program that Transcript simply can't do and if the  
right way to solve that problem is with an external, then it seems to  
me you should be willing to move outside the boundaries of the  
language to do that thing, whatever it is. (These multi-dimensional  
array manipulations, e.g., can apparently not be done satisfactorily  
in Transcript.)

I'm *always* going to come down on the side of keeping the language  
as simple as possible. In my opinion, it is already too burdened with  
baggage that is of use to a tiny fraction of its users in order to  
accommodate a few people with specific programming needs. As it  
becomes more complex -- even if those complexities are posited as  
"optional alternatives" -- it becomes more and more impenetrable to  
those who do not have a computer science background or formal  
computer training. Those folks already have enough languages to pick  
from. I strongly desire for this one to escape the clutches of the  
Programming Priesthood.

On Jun 23, 2005, at 6:35 AM, Rob Cozens wrote:

> Why would any Transcript scriptor want to write externals in C or  
> Pascal if she could use Transcript syntax instead?
>



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dan Shafer, Revolution Consultant and Author
http://www.shafermedia.com
Get my book, "Revolution: Software at the Speed of Thought"
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