The Eric Normand Podcast The Next 700 Programming Languages
Oct 12, 2020
Delve into the intriguing critique of programming language design as informed by a pivotal 1966 paper. Discover the evolutionary journey of languages and how their unique characteristics may arise from both logic and history. The conversation highlights the importance of recognizing languages as interconnected families while revealing how past ideas shape modern programming. Finally, hear about the need to appreciate the rich history of programming and computer science to enhance current educational practices.
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Language Design Focus
- Programming languages have two aspects: expressing things and basic building blocks.
- Focusing on building blocks (semantics) is more crucial than expression (syntax) for problem-solving.
Syntax vs. Semantics
- Syntactic differences (e.g., brackets) don't enhance problem expression.
- Semantic meaning is key to better problem-solving in programming.
Physical vs. Logical iSWIM
- iSWIM distinguishes between physical and logical representations.
- This separation allows a language's essence to be independent of its physical form (e.g., character set).