On 14/06/2011, at 7:16 AM, C. Scott Ananian wrote: >> Consider what it'd be like if we didn't represent code as text... and >> represented it maybe as series of ideograms or icons (TileScript nod). >> Syntax errors don't really crop up any more, do they? Given a slightly nicer >> User Interface than tilescript, you could still type your code, (ie use the >> keyboard to fast-select tokens), but the computer won't "validate" any input >> that isn't in its "dictionary" of known possible syntactically correct items >> given whatever context you're in. > > I think "Tiles prevent syntax errors" is a red herring. Sure, you can > prevent stupid typos by offering only tiles with correctly spelled > keywords, but that's not really a major problem in ordinary > experience. The more pernicious errors aren't especially affected one > way or the other by tile-based systems. (You could just as accurately > say that strongly-typed systems prevent errors.)
When you're about to type the next "tile", you're given options... anything outside of those options is impossible, so the computer doesn't put it in, because syntactically it wouldn't make sense. Do you see the power of options, here? :) It's another level of introspection for the programmer on the system that is possible if they need or want it. <shrug> some people like the computer to do things like highlight matching parenthesis, provide code syntax highlighting and colouring... others don't. (I'm not sure who doesn't). But we're kind of digressing from the point about the kinds of visual systems that I was originally talking about when mentioning TileScript. This isn't necessarily at all TileScript I'm talking about... it's about visual patterning "languages" (i'm using the term languages very loosely here). TileScript was simply a nod... If you've used any kind of visual math formula builder like the one that used to be present in Microsoft Word I think (and probably still is, I don't know), then you know what I'm talking about.. the syntax is visually patterned in front of you as soon as it becomes apparent to the computer that you're writing a certain kind of math, so you can see what's going on... this stuff is very useful, I'm not sure why you can't see the benefit of it... perhaps you're just too attached to text? :) As my memory recalls, Alan (and the entire VPRI crew I think) has said in the past, Math wins. Math is not written as a linear "text" per se, is it? Except, of course, where sequence is important ;-) Julian. _______________________________________________ fonc mailing list [email protected] http://vpri.org/mailman/listinfo/fonc
