Number of languages known [was Re: Python is readable] - somewhat OT

[Nathan Rice]

On Tue, Apr 3, 2012 at 9:51 AM, rusi <rustompmody at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Apr 3, 5:39 pm, Nathan Rice <nathan.alexander.r... at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>>
>> Don't think "underlying", instead think "canonical".
>>
>> Ultimately, the answers to your questions exist in the world for you
>> to see.  How does a surgeon describe a surgical procedure?  How does a
>> chef describe a recipe?  How does a carpenter describe the process of
>> building cabinets?  Aside from specific words, they all use natural
>> language, and it works just fine.
>
> A carpenter describes his carpentry-process in English
> A CSist describes his programming-process in English (at least all my
> CS books are in English)
>
> A carpenter uses his tools -- screwdriver, saw, planer --to do
> carpentry
> A programmer uses his tools to to programming -- one of which is
> called 'programming language'
>
> Doing programming without programming languages is like using toenails
> to tighten screws

I would argue that the computer is the tool, not the language.