Oh yes! I totally agree... Your example is in some ways more subtle, because the "correct" version still is what I would call "plain language" yet your observation is absolutely correct. "Advancing Transcript" would imply the compiler understanding more varied forms of expression than the ones established in 1987. Much like "add" would need to grow from simple arithmetic to encompassing "adding" an XML node.
The real nut to crack is ambiguity. if field 9 is visible Could be true if "visible" is a variable, though of course the compiler should prevent you from ever using "visible" and other key words as a variable. I just think the function example is especially egregious because this is clearly the direction RunRev is taking the language, and it's way far field from the original, visionary premise of HyperTalk. Functions are powerful, of course, but the parameters are never self-documenting and never plain language. Bill "Marty Billingsley" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message news:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > "Bill Marriott" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: >> >> Well for reasons I may not be aware of, all the new commands seem to be >> in >> the format, "revDoSomething" followed by parameters. Example: >> >> revAddXMLNode treeID, parentPath, nodeName, nodeContents >> >> the official example: >> >> revAddXMLNode 9,"/","Balls","" >> >> Why couldn't you say something like >> >> add node "Balls" to the root path of XML tree id 9 >> >> I'm not saying that is the exact perfect syntax, nor is it "compact," but >> it >> would be super readable/self-documenting and easy to remember. This is >> what >> I mean about advancing TransScript. > > Even simpler, why can't you say something like > if image "picture" is visible ... > instead of > if the visible of image "picture" is true ... > > My (young) students find this difficult. There are many ways in which > Transcript could be even more english-like. > > - marty > > -- > Marty Billingsley > ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) > The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools > _______________________________________________ > use-revolution mailing list > [email protected] > Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your > subscription preferences: > http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution > _______________________________________________ use-revolution mailing list [email protected] Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
