Path: csiph.com!weretis.net!feeder6.news.weretis.net!feeder.usenetexpress.com!feeder-in1.iad1.usenetexpress.com!border1.nntp.dca1.giganews.com!nntp.giganews.com!news.iecc.com!.POSTED.news.iecc.com!nerds-end From: "Costello, Roger L." Newsgroups: comp.compilers Subject: RE: language design after Algol 60 Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2018 12:56:22 +0000 Organization: Compilers Central Lines: 18 Sender: news@iecc.com Approved: comp.compilers@iecc.com Message-ID: <18-04-074@comp.compilers> References: <49854345-f940-e82a-5c35-35078c4189d5@gkc.org.uk> <18-03-103@comp.compilers> <18-03-042@comp.compilers> <18-03-047@comp.compilers> <18-03-075@comp.compilers> <18-03-079@comp.compilers> <18-03-101@comp.compilers> <18-04-002@comp.compilers> <18-04-003@comp.compilers> <18-04-004@comp.compilers> <18-04-024@comp.compilers> <18-04-034@comp.compilers> <18-04-041@comp.compilers> <18-04-046@comp.compilers> <18-04-050@comp.compilers> <18-04-063@comp.compilers> <18-04-064@comp.compilers> Injection-Info: gal.iecc.com; posting-host="news.iecc.com:2001:470:1f07:1126:0:676f:7373:6970"; logging-data="59651"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@iecc.com" Keywords: algol60, PL/I, history, comment Posted-Date: 16 Apr 2018 10:47:27 EDT X-submission-address: compilers@iecc.com X-moderator-address: compilers-request@iecc.com X-FAQ-and-archives: http://compilers.iecc.com Accept-Language: en-US Content-Language: en-US Xref: csiph.com comp.compilers:2083 Robin Vowels wrote: > Dijkstra's comment is nonsense. I am curious, why do you say Dijkstra's comment is nonsense? > [assuming that the quotation is literally correct] The quote seems to be correct: https://books.google.com/books?id=JdziBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA15&lpg=PA15&dq=Finally,+although+the+subject+is+not+a+pleasant+one,+I+must+mention+PL/1,+a+programming+language+for+which+the+defining+documentation+is+of+a+frightening+size+and+complexity&source=bl&ots=5709gQOo9K&sig=AfrW2xb-WrcWKpmRAsfxufLS0F4&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj4od7S677aAhUHvFMKHSF3AcUQ6AEIKTAA#v=onepage&q=Finally%2C%20although%20the%20subject%20is%20not%20a%20pleasant%20one%2C%20I%20must%20mention%20PL%2F1%2C%20a%20programming%20language%20for%20which%20the%20defining%20documentation%20is%20of%20a%20frightening%20size%20and%20complexity&f=false [Read the page or so around the quote and you'll see that Dijkstra thought Algol60, of which he was one of the authors, was too complicated, because BNF made it too easy to specify syntax. As far as I can tell, he wanted extremely simple languages to make it easier to prove programs correct. But that, of course, is another swamp. -John]