What is Expressiveness in a Computer Language

[Marshall]

Torben Ægidius Mogensen wrote:
>
> That's not true.  ML has variables in the mathematical sense of
> variables -- symbols that can be associated with different values at
> different times.  What it doesn't have is mutable variables (though it
> can get the effect of those by having variables be immutable
> references to mutable memory locations).

While we're on the topic of terminology, here's a pet peeve of
mine: "immutable variable."

immutable = can't change
vary-able = can change

Clearly a contradiction in terms.

If you have a named value that cannot be updated, it makes
no sense to call it "variable" since it isn't *able* to *vary.*
Let's call it a named constant.


Marshall