re display on a line like a typewriter. I think J's terse, one line approach to expressions *improves* readability.
Having an entire expression for analysis within a steady gaze without having to search around on a screen (or, god forbid, several screenfuls) for related parts (i find) helps quite a lot with keeping a clear mind on the problem. It avoids the hazzards of being distracted by the mechanics of searching round for that "other bit that's somewhere round here that has something to do with this bit". People who criticise J for it's terse nature and imply this makes it incomprehensible have it exactly wrong. for standard languages, a screen full of dispersed and atomised information jumbled up with instructions makes comprehension more difficult. OK .. i may be exaggerating for effect .. but that's the drift. On 2011-08-15 14:58, Don Guinn wrote: > There are two problems here. One is readability and the other is entry. > Until recently readability has been restricted by having to display on a > line like a typewriter and availability of characters. Video screens have > removed those restrictions but restrict the total area of display. We need > really big screens. Entry for J is still stuck with a keyboard which makes > it difficult to use the added flexibility of the screen. Tools like auto > completion which help in other programming languages are of little use in J > as it is so terse. > > 2011/8/15 Björn Helgason<[email protected]> > >> As far as reading/writing up/down right/left I think that writing in the >> forms of mind mapping is at least sometime preferable. >> >> In a way you can look at each verb as a bubble and each locale a collection >> of bubbles. >> >> I have often thought it would be nice to be able to collect the names and >> group them and just open a bubble as needed when working on a system and >> have it presented in a similar way as mind maps do. >> >> Within each line things are not always strictly right to left as operators >> take arguments left and right and have different scope. >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm >> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
