Article View: net.lang.apl
Article #131Re: Language Idioms
From: D Gary Grady
Date: Thu, 14 Feb 1985 15:50
Date: Thu, 14 Feb 1985 15:50
22 lines
1478 bytes
1478 bytes
<>
> > ...... I want to talk about programming idioms.
> > These are code sequences which produce some useful non-obvious result.
>
> I react when I see the word ``idiom'' used this way. To me, an idiom is a
> set of works which, when combined, have a meaning that cannot be deduced
> from the meanings of all of the constituent parts.
A common example of a programming "idiom" is the sequence
temp = var1; var1 = var2; var2 = temp;
for interchanging var1 and var2. But the writer above is correct; this
isn't an "idiom" or even analogous to an idiom in the normal sense of
that word. A better term might be "cliche."
I therefore propose that we discuss programming cliches... :-)
--
D Gary Grady
Duke U Comp Center, Durham, NC 27706
(919) 684-3695
USENET: {seismo,decvax,ihnp4,akgua,etc.}!mcnc!ecsvax!dgary
Technical Details
Message-ID:
<708@ecsvax.UUCP>Path:
arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!unc!mcnc!ecsvax!dgaryReferences:
<764@utcsrgv.UUCP>, <11450@watmath.UUCP>Show Full Headers
Complete Article Headers
Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site ecsvax.UUCP Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!unc!mcnc!ecsvax!dgary From: dgary@ecsvax.UUCP (D Gary Grady) Newsgroups: net.lang.apl,net.lang.c,net.lang.lisp,net.lang.pascal,net.lang.mod2,net.lang.prolog,net.lang.st80 Subject: Re: Language Idioms Message-ID: <708@ecsvax.UUCP> Date: Thu, 14-Feb-85 10:50:50 EST Article-I.D.: ecsvax.708 Posted: Thu Feb 14 10:50:50 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 15-Feb-85 05:48:51 EST References: <764@utcsrgv.UUCP>, <11450@watmath.UUCP> Organization: Duke U Comp Ctr Lines: 22