<language> broken

[Gordon McMillan]

So far, you have not made one post to comp.lang.python that comes 
anywhere close to the posting guidelines.

Would you mind taking this to comp.lang.snobbery, or wherever it 
belongs?

> Fernando Mato Mira wrote:
> 
> > [For example, I can think the Eiffel syntax is `philosophically' broken, but
> > as `infix' syntaxes go, it is not. And it's a good language (I programmed
> 
> Correction. There's one thing broken. The Subject Oriented syntax,
> but as Eiffel was started in '85, I guess that is understandable.
> 
> Ada 95 got this one right. Unfortunately, the semantics qualify as
> `multiply broken' regarding this issue:
> 
> 1. They thought about multiple dispatch, and they broke it on
> purpose. 2. If you specialize on more than one parameter, it should
> be the same type specifier
>      for all of them, i.e. only applicable to predicates, copying,
>      arithmetic and
> things like that,
>      not useful most of the times one wants several specializers. 3.
> Worse of all, instead of just adopting a left-to-right precedence
> rule, one that looks very
>      ugly was added, increasing the complexity of a document that is
>      already big
> enough.
> 
> In '95, at VRAI we refocused our application from AI-oriented to
> (soft) real-time. I grabbed the 9X specs, and the initial excitement
> turned to dissapointment (the prototype was in CLOS). Moving would
> have not only meant losing a lot in flexibility, but, worse of all,
> we would move only from being third-class to second-class citizens
> (SGI platform). And I would have rather dedicate the extra effort to
> CL. So after a little successful experience, and given the simpler
> requirements, we went with C++. Needless to say, the project became
> a death march. You don't go with C++ unless you can afford paying
> 5-10 times more for a lot less functionality.
> 
> --
> Fernando D. Mato Mira
> Real-Time SW Eng & Networking
> Advanced Systems Engineering Division
> CSEM
> Jaquet-Droz 1                   email: matomira AT acm DOT org
> CH-2007 Neuchatel                 tel:       +41 (32) 720-5157
> Switzerland                       FAX:       +41 (32) 720-5720
> 
> www.csem.ch      www.vrai.com     ligwww.epfl.ch/matomira.html
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> http://www.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list

- Gordon