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This looks useful and fun, but without programmatic ways of specifying notes (i.e. ‘$v1 = $v2 + 12’) it’s not much of a “programming language” and mostly just a

This looks useful and fun, but without programmatic ways of specifying notes (i.e. ‘$v1 = $v2 + 12’) it’s not much of a “programming language” and mostly just a “text based notation system”.

wizzwizz4 5y ago
It does have that? https://github.com/alda-lang/alda/blob/master/doc/variables.md https://github.com/alda-lang/alda/blob/master/doc/variables....
- joshuaissac 5y ago
  That seems to be for repeating things, but kennywinker is asking about shifting a note's pitch.
Willamin 5y ago
Looks like a previous version was mostly a Clojure DSL, but the latest major version no longer is. There are variables and other useful features we know from other programming languages that aren't mentioned on the landing page. Of course there are also varying definitions of what a programming language is. For instance, I consider CSS to be a programming language, but I know many people disagree with that position (and that's okay). I personally don't think that a "programming language" must be a general-purpose, turing-complete language. Alda seems to be a non-general purpose, turing-incomplete language. At this point though, we're maybe getting into semantics a bit. Syntax change: https://github.com/alda-lang/alda/blob/master/doc/alda-2-migration-guide.md#attribute-syntax-has-changed-in-some-cases https://github.com/alda-lang/alda/blob/master/doc/alda-2-mig...
- Jorengarenar 5y ago
  >For instance, I consider CSS to be a programming language Out of curiosity, on what basis do consider CSS to be a programming language? And does it applies to versions prior to CSS3 too?
SamBam 5y ago
This is what I've wondered about -- with this and with the other few "music programming languages" on HN in the past year. They almost always seem to be simply "music notation", not music programming. At the end of the day, it's not that different from sheet music, just written slightly differently. If I wanted to actually program music based on this, could I? Could I write a loop that plays random notes on the pentatonic scale? Or that systematically plays through every scale, without writing out all the notes by hand?
- kennywinker 5y ago
  It sounds like there’s a layer built on top of this to write clojure that interacts with alda, and you definitely could with that. There are also a bunch of other options. Orca (a visual sound programming language) and sonic pi would be where i would start for two very different approaches to the concept.

wizzwizz4 5y ago

It does have that? https://github.com/alda-lang/alda/blob/master/doc/variables.md https://github.com/alda-lang/alda/blob/master/doc/variables....

joshuaissac 5y ago
That seems to be for repeating things, but kennywinker is asking about shifting a note's pitch.

Willamin 5y ago

Looks like a previous version was mostly a Clojure DSL, but the latest major version no longer is. There are variables and other useful features we know from other programming languages that aren't mentioned on the landing page. Of course there are also varying definitions of what a programming language is. For instance, I consider CSS to be a programming language, but I know many people disagree with that position (and that's okay). I personally don't think that a "programming language" must be a general-purpose, turing-complete language. Alda seems to be a non-general purpose, turing-incomplete language. At this point though, we're maybe getting into semantics a bit. Syntax change: https://github.com/alda-lang/alda/blob/master/doc/alda-2-migration-guide.md#attribute-syntax-has-changed-in-some-cases https://github.com/alda-lang/alda/blob/master/doc/alda-2-mig...

Jorengarenar 5y ago
>For instance, I consider CSS to be a programming language Out of curiosity, on what basis do consider CSS to be a programming language? And does it applies to versions prior to CSS3 too?

SamBam 5y ago

This is what I've wondered about -- with this and with the other few "music programming languages" on HN in the past year. They almost always seem to be simply "music notation", not music programming. At the end of the day, it's not that different from sheet music, just written slightly differently. If I wanted to actually program music based on this, could I? Could I write a loop that plays random notes on the pentatonic scale? Or that systematically plays through every scale, without writing out all the notes by hand?

kennywinker 5y ago
It sounds like there’s a layer built on top of this to write clojure that interacts with alda, and you definitely could with that. There are also a bunch of other options. Orca (a visual sound programming language) and sonic pi would be where i would start for two very different approaches to the concept.