5 ms·

I think the point is that it takes a lot longer pick the syntax up compared to some if/then/for/loop version of trim even if that would be way more verbose.

• serhart 7y ago
  Yes, but I think that's antithetical to what languages like bash and perl are trying to do. Someone well versed in the language can do some pretty complex operations in a few keystrokes.
  • pretendscholar 7y ago
    which gets back to the original point that these languages have chosen to be more powerful over being more immediately readable. you have to know many more features of the language to understand what is going on compared to colloquially used constructs like if/then or for loops. If you understand english you are a lot closer to understanding the latter rather than the former, more domain specific syntax.
    • serhart 7y ago
      I don't agree at all. I don't find it less "readable". You just have to be used to it. If you understand English, German isn't that hard of a language to learn. Japanese would probably be a little bit harder to pick up though. Doesn't mean Japanese is unreadable