On May 13, 11:36 pm, Dave Parker <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > ... there's something that feels very unnatural about writing English as > > code. > > I think it is ironic that you think Flaming Thunder is unnatural > because it is more English-like, when being English-like was one of > Python's goals: "Python was designed to be a highly readable language. > It aims toward an uncluttered visual layout, using English keywords > frequently where other languages use > punctuation."http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Python_(programming_language)#Syntax_and...
Python was designed to be _highly readable language_. It aims toward _uncluttered visual layout_, using _English keywords ... where other languages uses punctuation_. Where in that statement, that says Python aims to be English-like? It only says Python uses English keywords instead of punctuations such as curly braces, &&, ||, etc which is remotely far away from trying to be English-like. What I see is that, FT in its current form, aims to be a readable language, which doesn't concern itself for cluttering the code's visual layout. Verbosity ≠ Readability I even remembered someone saying that probably one of Python's goal is to make you from press only the necessary keystrokes. If I don't misremember it, it was in Thinking in Python. > > Just using your "Set ... to" idiom, rather than a > > regular = assignment, makes things much more wordy, without improving > > readability. > > I think it does improve readability, especially for people who are not > very fluent mathematically. But it hurts readability for people who prefers simplicity over everything and that means you've just violated KISS design principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid) which is also a persistent feature in UNIX philosophy (Small is beautiful, Rule of Simplicity), and Python's Zen (Simple is better than Complex). > Also, in Python how do you assign a symbolic equation to a variable? > Like this? > > QuadraticEquation = a*x^2 + b*x + c = 0 > Last time I checked, it was a syntax error there. > Set statements avoid the confusion of multiple equal signs when > manipulating symbolic equations: > > Set QuadraticEquation to a*x^2 + b*x + c = 0. > (snip) -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
