counter++ versus "add 1 to counter"

[A.C.T.]

Moin, Brian,

> Now I think we're really getting to the crux of things =)!

absolutely. It is just what I tried to explain: A programming language 
IS NOT a human language, but Transcript is "somewhat English", more than 
a "normal" programming language is. That makes things difficult for 
someone who takes a programming language independant from its English 
wording like I do: I don't care if PHP uses Spain for its commands or if 
Perl uses nonsense for its commands, the commands are simple 
"vocabulary" to me. It is the LOGIC that should play a role and 
"language logic" is dependant on the language you chose. So "Transcript" 
uses "English logic", not completely, but a subset of it. My example 
tried to show that: You do not only have to know English, you have to 
know the specific Transcript dialect with all its limitations (you 
cannot say "increment", you HAVE to say "add"). Already "speaking" this 
dialect makes things easy. Coming from a different development 
environment makes things more complicated than necessary.
I explained my background as having "coded" in Machine Language (hex 
codes only). That wasn't English - at all. It was more like "Latin" 
(learn the logic once and you are done). I consider a programming 
language a tool to reach a goal - that goal is NOT telling a story or 
explaining TO A HUMAN BEING what I intend to do. That goal is to make 
the computer do what I want it to.

Any influence that makes the interaction between the developer (and his 
staff) and the machine unprecise has to be avoided. Introducing "human 
interactive components" like "sentence structures" are distractions, 
they don't enforce the goal that is to be reached. They _do_ have their 
reasons if you have to "prototype" something and make the programming 
language easily understandable, even to other developers (that are not 
familiar with the language you would normaly choose), though.

So, into the group: THANKS for the discussion. Speaking ones mind is not 
always allowed nowadays and it was a relieve to do it here.

Marc Albrecht
A.C.T. / Level-2
Glinder Str. 2
27432 Ebersdorf
Deutschland
Tel. (+49) (0)4765-830060
Fax. (+49) (0)4765-830064