Path: csiph.com!usenet.pasdenom.info!weretis.net!feeder1.news.weretis.net!feeder.erje.net!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed5.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!newsgate.cistron.nl!newsgate.news.xs4all.nl!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.004 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.99; '*S*': 0.00; '(at': 0.03; 'from:addr:yahoo.co.uk': 0.05; 'subject:Python': 0.05; 'see.': 0.07; 'english)': 0.09; 'language,': 0.11; 'programmer': 0.12; 'carpenter': 0.16; 'fine.': 0.16; 'procedure?': 0.16; 'received:80.91': 0.16; 'received:80.91.229': 0.16; 'received:gmane.org': 0.16; 'received:list': 0.16; 'subject: \n ': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.19; 'least': 0.20; 'latter': 0.21; 'header:In- Reply-To:1': 0.22; 'programming': 0.23; 'header:User-Agent:1': 0.26; 'subject: [': 0.28; 'books': 0.29; 'header:X-Complaints- To:1': 0.29; 'aside': 0.31; 'words,': 0.32; 'pm,': 0.34; 'uses': 0.34; 'exist': 0.34; 'called': 0.34; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.35; 'extremely': 0.35; 'does': 0.36; 'doing': 0.36; 'languages': 0.36; 'received:org': 0.36; 'subject:: ': 0.37; 'instead': 0.38; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'header:Received:5': 0.40; 'skip:" 10': 0.40; 'received:net': 0.60; 'world': 0.61; 'natural': 0.64; 'bite': 0.84; 'nathan': 0.84; 'received:2': 0.91; 'rusi': 0.91 X-Injected-Via-Gmane: http://gmane.org/ To: python-list@python.org From: Mark Lawrence Subject: Re: Number of languages known [was Re: Python is readable] - somewhat OT Date: Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:26:19 +0100 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> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Gmane-NNTP-Posting-Host: host-2-97-70-212.as13285.net User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.0; rv:11.0) Gecko/20120327 Thunderbird/11.0.1 In-Reply-To: <0f1ead89-f0f1-4179-904d-ec1efda38809@t2g2000pbg.googlegroups.com> X-Antivirus: avast! (VPS 120403-1, 03/04/2012), Outbound message X-Antivirus-Status: Clean X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.12 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Message-ID: Lines: 31 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1333463227 news.xs4all.nl 6874 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:33595 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:22595 On 03/04/2012 14:51, rusi wrote: > On Apr 3, 5:39 pm, Nathan Rice > wrote: >> >> Don't think "underlying", instead think "canonical". >> >> Ultimately, the answers to your questions exist in the world for you >> to see. How does a surgeon describe a surgical procedure? How does a >> chef describe a recipe? How does a carpenter describe the process of >> building cabinets? Aside from specific words, they all use natural >> language, and it works just fine. > > A carpenter describes his carpentry-process in English > A CSist describes his programming-process in English (at least all my > CS books are in English) > > A carpenter uses his tools -- screwdriver, saw, planer --to do > carpentry > A programmer uses his tools to to programming -- one of which is > called 'programming language' > > Doing programming without programming languages is like using toenails > to tighten screws The latter is extremely difficult if you bite your toenails :) -- Cheers. Mark Lawrence.