Re: Lisp syntax, was A simpler way to tokenize and parse?

From	gah4 <gah4@u.washington.edu>
Newsgroups	comp.compilers
Subject	Re: Lisp syntax, was A simpler way to tokenize and parse?
Date	2023-03-25 14:32 -0700
Organization	Compilers Central
Message-ID	<23-03-020@comp.compilers> (permalink)
References	<23-03-011@comp.compilers> <23-03-016@comp.compilers>

Show all headers | View raw

On Saturday, March 25, 2023 at 7:48:45 AM UTC-7, Spiros Bousbouras wrote:

(snip)

> It is specific to when you have a very simple and uniform syntax and
experience
> suggests that this isn't to most people's taste. Whether it is a result of
> "mental wiring" or tradition (including mathematical tradition) to which one
> gets exposed from a young age , I don't know. What I mean by this is that
most
> people seem to find it easier to read
> a + b * c
> as opposed to
> (+ a (* b c))
>
> and I don't know if this is just the result of early exposure or an inherent
> part of how most humans' brains function.

Years ago, when there was actual competition between TI and HP
for calculator sales, there was much discussion on the advantages
of HPs RPN (postfix notation) vs. TI's algebraic (infix notation).

That seems to have gone away now, and is not discussed much.

What it always seemed to me, was it was easier to think in
postfix terms, but easier to write in infix notation.  You won't
find algebra or calculus books writing expressions in prefix or
postfix form.

No idea about mental wiring or being exposed at a young age.

I wonder about studies of young(er) kids learning to use
calculators or in teaching math to younger kids.

Back to comp.compilers | Previous | Next — Previous in thread | Next in thread | Find similar

Thread

A simpler way to tokenize and parse? Roger L Costello <costello@mitre.org> - 2023-03-24 14:45 +0000
  Re: Lisp syntax, was A simpler way to tokenize and parse? Spiros Bousbouras <spibou@gmail.com> - 2023-03-25 11:55 +0000
    Re: Lisp syntax, was A simpler way to tokenize and parse? gah4 <gah4@u.washington.edu> - 2023-03-25 14:32 -0700
  Re: Lisp syntax, was A simpler way to tokenize and parse? anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) - 2023-03-25 13:14 +0000
    Re: Lisp syntax, was A simpler way to tokenize and parse? Kaz Kylheku <864-117-4973@kylheku.com> - 2023-03-26 00:46 +0000
  Re: A simpler way to tokenize and parse? Lieven Marchand <mal@wyrd.be> - 2023-03-25 19:58 +0100
    Re: A simpler way to tokenize and parse? Spiros Bousbouras <spibou@gmail.com> - 2023-03-26 14:10 +0000
    Re: A simpler way to tokenize and parse? Kaz Kylheku <864-117-4973@kylheku.com> - 2023-03-26 18:19 +0000
      Re: Lisp syntax, A simpler way to tokenize and parse? Lieven Marchand <mal@wyrd.be> - 2023-03-27 23:15 +0200
  Re: A simpler way to tokenize and parse? Kaz Kylheku <864-117-4973@kylheku.com> - 2023-03-26 01:17 +0000

csiph-web