source code size metric: Python and modern C++

[Avery Andrews]

On Thu, 5 Dec 2002, Lulu of the Lotus-Eaters wrote:

> |Lulu of the Lotus-Eaters <mertz at gnosis.cx> writes:
> |> Neither 'sequence' nor 'number' are Python types.
> |> List are types, as are tuples, as are ints, longs, floats.  But
> |> 'sequence' and 'number' are more like schematic references to "some
> |> type that behaves enough like we need it to."  In fact, custom
> |> sequences (or custom numbers) word fine too.
> 
> David Abrahams <dave at boost-consulting.com> wrote previously:
> |They're not concrete types. However, in "computer language developer
> |lingo", they can be said to be types.

Maybe they could be called `proto-types'

 a) they express the essential intuition behind a real formally
     defined type

 b) they are literally what linguistics/cognitive sci people would
     call 'prototypes', lists of properties that a typical member of
     a category would have, without being necessary or sufficient
     criteria for belonging to that category (the less of the properties
     something has, the less good an examplar of the category it is).

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