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Programming language authors really need to learn how to make a website. Look at Ruby's: http://www.ruby-lang.org/en/ http://www.ruby-lang.org/en/ No long ex

by j_baker 16y ago

Programming language authors really need to learn how to make a website. Look at Ruby's: http://www.ruby-lang.org/en/ http://www.ruby-lang.org/en/ No long explanations about what it means for Ruby to be a dynamic, object-oriented language. I don't have to read its author's paper or book to get it. Just a short code snippet to show me what it looks like and several links so I can learn more.

Calamitous 16y ago
Very much so. I don't get the (apparent) belief that code samples must be hidden at all costs. If I'm looking at a language, I want to see what it looks like...
- Scriptor 16y ago
  Only a small number of the language websites listed on the emerging langs camp site have any code on them, and that includes those with maybe just a couple of lines for an edge case scenario. I guess a bunch of those languages are highly academic and the meat is in the implementation as opposed to the syntax. But language developers need to start putting some effort into the non-code parts of their projects. I'm not going to get inspired to pick up a new language by bullet points. At the same time, I'm working on my own language project so I know it can be challenging to use just the right code to give the best first impression.
AndrejM 16y ago
Although true, many of those authors are too busy with improving/fixing their compilers. E.g. the D language doesn't have a very modern looking website atm., but someone has took the task to update it recently. It's not up yet since the community is trying it out.
- Scriptor 16y ago
  The D language actually is an example of a good site, in that there's a large chunk of code on the front page.
  - AndrejM 16y ago
    True. The massive ammount of code examples on the D website is what got me interested in the language in the first place.
billmcneale 16y ago
Another good example: http://fantom.org/ http://fantom.org/
- tomjen3 16y ago
  Man that language is awesome - default nonnulable types, closures, mixins, static _and_ dynamic calls.... I am in love.
davidw 16y ago
I think the 37signals guys had a go at fixing it up some, or am I mistaken?

by j_baker 16y ago

Calamitous 16y ago

Very much so. I don't get the (apparent) belief that code samples must be hidden at all costs. If I'm looking at a language, I want to see what it looks like...

Scriptor 16y ago
Only a small number of the language websites listed on the emerging langs camp site have any code on them, and that includes those with maybe just a couple of lines for an edge case scenario. I guess a bunch of those languages are highly academic and the meat is in the implementation as opposed to the syntax. But language developers need to start putting some effort into the non-code parts of their projects. I'm not going to get inspired to pick up a new language by bullet points. At the same time, I'm working on my own language project so I know it can be challenging to use just the right code to give the best first impression.

AndrejM 16y ago

Although true, many of those authors are too busy with improving/fixing their compilers. E.g. the D language doesn't have a very modern looking website atm., but someone has took the task to update it recently. It's not up yet since the community is trying it out.

Scriptor 16y ago
The D language actually is an example of a good site, in that there's a large chunk of code on the front page.
- AndrejM 16y ago
  True. The massive ammount of code examples on the D website is what got me interested in the language in the first place.

billmcneale 16y ago

Another good example: http://fantom.org/ http://fantom.org/

tomjen3 16y ago
Man that language is awesome - default nonnulable types, closures, mixins, static _and_ dynamic calls.... I am in love.

davidw 16y ago

I think the 37signals guys had a go at fixing it up some, or am I mistaken?