What is python's language level?

Ivan Van Laningham ivanlan at callware.com
Tue Apr 4 21:54:28 EDT 2000


Hi All--

Roy Smith wrote:
> 
> zawrotny at gecko.sb.fsu.edu (Michael Zawrotny) wrote:
> > Lets start with the fact that nroff and html are markup
> > languages not programming languages.
> 
> HTML certainly is markup, but I don't know if I'd call nroff markup.
> It's much more like a programing language.
> 
> Nroff has arithmetic expressions and operators, conditional execution,
> several different forms of data structures (number registers, text
> diversions), user-definable functions with argument passing, traps, etc.
> I don't remember if it supports recursion or not, but I think so.
> 

I believe it does, but it's been at least 8 years since I did serious
work in n/troff.

> I will admit, the syntax leaves something to be desired (an obfuscated
> nroff contest would be pointless because it'd be too hard to pick one
> winner). 

Yes indeed.  Any n/troff source file could qualify.  Macro files, by
definition, transcend obfuscated.  I wonder what's next up that ladder?

I once wrote a macro to draw a padlock character.  I really was a very
nice padlock, too.  If anyone's interested, I could post it (or write to
me b/c).

> I'll leave it to the theory wonks to figure out if it's Turing
> complete or what not, but it's very much more than just a markup
> language.
> 

It's most certainly Turing-complete.  It ain't what you call convenient
or readable, but once you understand what you're doing you can write
anything you want in it.  Including calculators and prime-number sieves.

<it's-still-moose-turd-pie-though>-ly y'rs,
Ivan;-)
----------------------------------------------
Ivan Van Laningham
Callware Technologies, Inc.
http://www.pauahtun.org and
http://www.foretec.com/python/workshops/1998-11/proceedings.html
Army Signal Corps:  Cu Chi, Class of '70
Author:  Teach Yourself Python in 24 Hours




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