Re: E. W. Dijkstra VS. John McCarthy. A rebuttal to Paul Graham's web writings.

From: Joost Kremers (joostkremers_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 08/16/04 

Date: 15 Aug 2004 23:01:38 GMT

Jeff wrote:
> A programming language (as opposed to a "data" language like HTML) is
> differenciated by the fact that conditionally executed control
> structures may be implemented by the programmer.

i think a semanticist would say that you're trying to define the term
'programming language' by its extension, while the only really feasible way
to define the term would be by its intension.

my personal intuition, no doubt imperfect, would be to say that a
programming language is a set of rules for formulating expressions that
have side-effects. although i think that would make html a programming
language... :-/ 

-- 
Joost Kremers                                      joostkremers@yahoo.com
Selbst in die Unterwelt dringt durch Spalten Licht
EN:SiS(9)