Path: csiph.com!v102.xanadu-bbs.net!xanadu-bbs.net!news.glorb.com!news-out.readnews.com!transit3.readnews.com!panix!not-for-mail From: Grant Edwards Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Subject: Re: Number of languages known [was Re: Python is readable] - somewhat OT Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2012 14:46:17 +0000 (UTC) Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC Lines: 26 Message-ID: References: <4f7512db$0$29981$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <78a6d2f8-23de-496a-afb7-943b60e57c88@mq9g2000pbb.googlegroups.com> <94c6033a-26e7-4b49-911c-b63ca01d13ea@wj4g2000pbc.googlegroups.com> <0f1ead89-f0f1-4179-904d-ec1efda38809@t2g2000pbg.googlegroups.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: dsl.comtrol.com X-Trace: reader1.panix.com 1333464377 6870 64.122.56.22 (3 Apr 2012 14:46:17 GMT) X-Complaints-To: abuse@panix.com NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2012 14:46:17 +0000 (UTC) User-Agent: slrn/pre1.0.0-18 (Linux) Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:22602 On 2012-04-03, Chris Angelico wrote: > On Wed, Apr 4, 2012 at 12:26 AM, Mark Lawrence wrote: >> On 03/04/2012 14:51, rusi wrote: >>> Doing programming without programming languages is like using toenails >>> to tighten screws >> >> >> The latter is extremely difficult if you bite your toenails :) > > I agree, thumbnails are far better suited. Mine are often pushed into > that service. But to extend the analogy: Using a thumbnail to tighten > a screw is like directly patching a binary to fix a bug. It works, but > it's not exactly a practical way to build a system. Anybody remember DEC's VAX/VMS "patch" utility? Apparently, DEC thought it was a practical way to fix things. It had a built-in assembler and let you "insert" new code into a function by auto-allocating a location for the new code an hooking it into the indicated spot with jump instructions. The mind wobbled. -- Grant Edwards grant.b.edwards Yow! I'm a fuschia bowling at ball somewhere in Brittany gmail.com