Path: csiph.com!usenet.pasdenom.info!weretis.net!feeder1.news.weretis.net!feeder.erje.net!eu.feeder.erje.net!newsfeed.freenet.ag!news2.euro.net!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 0.000 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 1.00; '*S*': 0.00; 'languages,': 0.04; 'subject:Python': 0.05; 'automate': 0.07; 'bash': 0.07; 'clean.': 0.09; 'received:80.91': 0.09; 'received:80.91.229': 0.09; 'received:gmane.org': 0.09; 'received:list': 0.09; 'scripting': 0.09; 'subject:language': 0.09; 'subset': 0.09; 'terry': 0.09; 'expressions.': 0.16; 'imo,': 0.16; "languages'": 0.16; 'received:80.91.229.3': 0.16; 'received:plane.gmane.org': 0.16; 'reedy': 0.16; 'subject:programming': 0.16; 'syntax,': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.17; 'typing': 0.17; 'variables': 0.17; 'jan': 0.18; 'tim': 0.18; 'keyboard': 0.22; 'programming': 0.23; "haven't": 0.23; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.25; 'header:User-Agent:1': 0.26; 'language.': 0.27; 'separate': 0.27; 'header:X-Complaints-To:1': 0.28; 'assert': 0.29; 'definition': 0.29; 'that.': 0.30; 'to:addr :python-list': 0.33; 'languages': 0.33; 'done': 0.34; 'pm,': 0.35; 'subject:?': 0.35; 'received:org': 0.36; 'but': 0.36; 'should': 0.36; 'too': 0.36; 'subject:: ': 0.38; 'some': 0.38; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'little': 0.39; 'header:Received:5': 0.40; 'think': 0.40; 'most': 0.61; 'skip:n 10': 0.63; 'clicking': 0.75; 'category.': 0.84; 'commands.': 0.84; 'received:fios.verizon.net': 0.84; 'edwards': 0.91; 'sitting': 0.93 X-Injected-Via-Gmane: http://gmane.org/ To: python-list@python.org From: Terry Reedy Subject: Re: Is Python programming language? Date: Sat, 09 Feb 2013 21:47:26 -0500 References: <1360328631.24677.YahooMailClassic@web125203.mail.ne1.yahoo.com> <6lmdh8t7osnvjj5v5vnrav8q5anum6ln3q@4ax.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Gmane-NNTP-Posting-Host: pool-173-75-251-66.phlapa.fios.verizon.net User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:17.0) Gecko/20130107 Thunderbird/17.0.2 In-Reply-To: <6lmdh8t7osnvjj5v5vnrav8q5anum6ln3q@4ax.com> X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15 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: 24 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1360464482 news.xs4all.nl 6872 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:55399 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:38545 On 2/9/2013 6:26 PM, Tim Roberts wrote: > Grant Edwards wrote: >> >> IMO, a "scripting language" is used to automate tasks that would >> otherwise be done by a human sitting at a keyboard typing commands. >> [Perhaps that definition should be extended to include tasks that >> would otherwise by done by a human sitting and clicking on a GUI.] > > I think that definition is a little too neat and clean. > > Most people would call bash a "scripting language", but it is also clearly > a programming language. It has syntax, variables and expressions. I > suspect it is Turing-complete, although I haven't seen a proof of that. > > I would assert that scripting languages are a proper subset of programming > languages, not a separate category. To me, 'scripting languages' include some non-Turing-complete languages and I would not call those 'programming languages'. -- Terry Jan Reedy