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And yet, a vast component of code is communicating to developers. Some patterns (e.g. Java) try to minimize the expressiveness in favor of consistency, others

And yet, a vast component of code is communicating to developers. Some patterns (e.g. Java) try to minimize the expressiveness in favor of consistency, others (e.g. Perl, etc) focus on expressiveness (which makes the subsequent result highly dependent on the skill of the _expression_ of the original programmer). But either way, there's distinctly language going on. It just conveys in a different manner than the common human languages I know of.

wang_li 8y ago
I have a challenge for you, or anyone really. Translate Gettysburg Address into your programming language of choice and present it here for determining of those fluent in your chosen language understand what you have translated. Constraints: You can't use print statements to echo the English text of the address. You can't use English or English-like identifiers. I know of no programming language that can convey the meaning of these sentences, it's simply not what the languages are meant to do: >But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.
- craftyguy 8y ago
  Eh, there are human languages that cannot convey meanings that other languages can. Those languages, by your definition, are not human languages (which is silly, because they are).
- ergothus 8y ago
  > I know of no programming language that can convey the meaning of these sentences Are _these_ meanings the meaning that define language? To say that programming languages exist to convey meaning does not equate to being able to express all meanings.
- naniwaduni 8y ago
  It's surprisingly difficult to translate any nontrivial passage from any human language to any other human language in a way that everyone can agree preserves meaning.
- andrewflnr 8y ago
  > it's simply not what the languages are meant to do I'd say you answered your own question, here.
- PJDK 8y ago
  in c# (partial code) using(var usPeoples = new UsPeopleContext()) { var waverers = usPeoples.Where(x => x.IsUnsureOfContextOfCivilWarAndReasonsToPersue == false).ToList(); waverers.ForEach(x => { x.Reassure(); x.Inspire(); }); await usPeoples.SaveChangesAsync(); }
- pjc50 8y ago
  Reminds me of Peter Norvig's translation into PowerPoint: https://norvig.com/Gettysburg/ https://norvig.com/Gettysburg/ (satirizing its overuse and flattening of style)
  - itronitron 8y ago
    soulwise, these are trying times
- vntok 8y ago
  > But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. Sounds like some "brave" developers defined a "Ground" class (maybe they "struggled" over its name?) that they "consecrated" by marking it as final, so that other developers shall not extend it later to "add or detract" from its original purpose.

wang_li 8y ago

I have a challenge for you, or anyone really. Translate Gettysburg Address into your programming language of choice and present it here for determining of those fluent in your chosen language understand what you have translated. Constraints: You can't use print statements to echo the English text of the address. You can't use English or English-like identifiers. I know of no programming language that can convey the meaning of these sentences, it's simply not what the languages are meant to do: >But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.

craftyguy 8y ago
Eh, there are human languages that cannot convey meanings that other languages can. Those languages, by your definition, are not human languages (which is silly, because they are).
ergothus 8y ago
> I know of no programming language that can convey the meaning of these sentences Are _these_ meanings the meaning that define language? To say that programming languages exist to convey meaning does not equate to being able to express all meanings.
naniwaduni 8y ago
It's surprisingly difficult to translate any nontrivial passage from any human language to any other human language in a way that everyone can agree preserves meaning.
andrewflnr 8y ago
> it's simply not what the languages are meant to do I'd say you answered your own question, here.
PJDK 8y ago
in c# (partial code) using(var usPeoples = new UsPeopleContext()) { var waverers = usPeoples.Where(x => x.IsUnsureOfContextOfCivilWarAndReasonsToPersue == false).ToList(); waverers.ForEach(x => { x.Reassure(); x.Inspire(); }); await usPeoples.SaveChangesAsync(); }
pjc50 8y ago
Reminds me of Peter Norvig's translation into PowerPoint: https://norvig.com/Gettysburg/ https://norvig.com/Gettysburg/ (satirizing its overuse and flattening of style)
- itronitron 8y ago
  soulwise, these are trying times
vntok 8y ago
> But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. Sounds like some "brave" developers defined a "Ground" class (maybe they "struggled" over its name?) that they "consecrated" by marking it as final, so that other developers shall not extend it later to "add or detract" from its original purpose.