Re: Simplicity has a future

Le 30-05-2006, jacob navia <jacob@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> a écrit :
A recent article on CNN described the problem that phone makers
are facing.

(http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/biztech/05/29/cellphone.usability.ap/index.html)

Most people are rejecting the new "supercharged"
cell phones because they just do not want to learn the
incredible complex menus and stuff that you need to use them.

The new phones are just too complicated to use.

The same thing is happening with programming languages too.

With a big difference: most 'programming languages' users
are professionnals, and a (good) professional is ready to
learn if it can increase its productivity.

Well, that is the same stupid war for text editors:
NotePad, Gedit, Vi[m], [X]emacs...
Its takes time to learn how to use Vi/emacs but
once you knows it, you write code more efficiently than
with NotePad.
But, if you want to read the all documentation
of vi before writting your first text, yes, chose NotePad.

Extremey complicated languages like C++ are loosing ground to more
simpler languages.

Sure ?

People get tired of trying to learn a
monster language where learning the language gets in the way
of the basic needs of the user. You use a language to do something,
and when you have to learn too much stuff or the learning curve
is too steep, a simpler language wins.

OK, try this simple test: write a code that read a text line,
without any assumption on its maximal size. Is the C solution
really simplier that the C++ one ?

Marc Boyer
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Simplicity has a future
    ... cell phones because they just do not want to learn the ... monster language where learning the language gets in the way ... and when you have to learn too much stuff or the learning curve ... But my mind knows pretty well the C++ standard. ...
    (comp.lang.c)
  • Memo To Business Leaders: :Stop Buying Desktops
    ... Businesses should stop buying desktops for their employees, ... cell phones instead. ... Language is a virus from outer space. ...
    (microsoft.public.dotnet.general)
  • Web_TV can work on cell phones ( on Win_CE ).
    ... works on cell phones; ... Not every billionaire is like Bill Gates ... quite a few speak English as a second language. ...
    (sci.physics)
  • Re: Help regarding writing a Source Filter
    ... Well, from a maintenance and supportability standpoint, there could be value ... re-use regularly that would have to be ported & tested in the new language. ... Plus, there will be a learning curve. ...
    (microsoft.public.win32.programmer.directx.video)
  • Re: Overflowing a Long
    ... That is likely true but restricting vb.net to vb6 syntax would have held it back a *huge* amount. ... There was of course a slight learning curve because of the event driven nature of VB5 but nevertheless I felt at home almost straight away and I could convert even the oldest of my previous BASIC programs to VB5 very quickly and with very few problems. ... It's definately less of learning curve to going from a dos language to an event driven language. ...
    (microsoft.public.vb.general.discussion)