If that is the promise it will never be met for the very simple reason I mentioned above: natural language is defined by how the speakers individually use the

If that is the promise it will never be met for the very simple reason I mentioned above: natural language is defined by how the speakers individually use the language. Computer languages are defined by specification. That kiss the flexibility you are asking for right there and that's why you can never program in English. It isn't just a question of imprecision. NULL in SQL is more imprecise than most of the things folks might argue about in English.... The problem is as to how you define correct usage and correct behavior. The only promise that English-like languages can ever fulfil is that they will be easier to learn for English-speakers than languages which are not.