Amen. On Mon, Aug 15, 2011 at 3:37 PM, mijj <[email protected]> wrote:
> 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 > -- John D. Baker [email protected] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
