3 ms·

I really don't see how english is a better query language than SQL. Yes, SQL has a bunch of sharp corners you have to learn, but plain english can be very ambig

by aerzen 3y ago

I really don't see how english is a better query language than SQL. Yes, SQL has a bunch of sharp corners you have to learn, but plain english can be very ambiguous. Creating an interface that that is simple at low query complexity is easy. A good interface is the one that still makes sense when queries get complicated. And to be fair, even SQL is not that good at that.

DonaldPShimoda 3y ago
> I really don't see how english is a better query language than SQL. People have been trying to develop "natural" programming languages since the advent of programming, and I think we can say that it's pretty much never going to work. The things that make natural language desirable (such as semantic ambiguity, individualized expression, inherent adaptability, etc) are almost exactly the things that you absolutely don't want to get involved when interfacing with computers. Programming languages lack these traits, which makes them predictable and dependable in a way natural language simply isn't, which is why they're good for interfacing with computers.