IME, sentences with the word "inherent" tend towards nonsense. I'm not sure even what "inherent complexity" could possibly mean. If a concept is simply stated, how complex could it be?
That being said, I would welcome Paul going from a minimal homepage to perhaps doing a blog. He has some truly interesting ideas. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |\/| Randy A MacDonald | APL: If you can say it, it's done.. (ram) |/\| [EMAIL PROTECTED] | |\ | | The only real problem with APL is that BSc(Math) UNBF'83 | it is "still ahead of its time." Sapere Aude | - Morten Kromberg Natural Born APL'er | Demo website: http://156.34.94.188/ -----------------------------------------------------(INTP)----{ gnat }- ----- Original Message ----- From: "Skip Cave" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "General forum" <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2007 7:47 PM Subject: Re: [Jgeneral] Lack of software abstractions > All programming languages are an abstraction to what is really going on > in a machine. Some languages are just more abstract than others. > > J simplifies the NOTATION of complex things. It does nothing to reduce > the inherent complexity of those things. > > Skip Cave > > > Devon McCormick wrote: > > Here's an interesting comment by Paul Robinson, mentioning APL, on how > > software development > > is hindered by lack of adequate abstractions: > > http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks/24.54.html . > > > > This is something J is good at. Though, in a way, it's too good: it > > seems > > when people > > encounter real abstraction, they start talking about how hard it is to > > understand. However, > > at some point this is an irreducible problem: even when you simplify > > complex > > things as > > much as possible, they are often still complex. > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
