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Re: Does Forth solve the paradox?

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On 11/5/2014 5:49 PM, Elizabeth D. Rather wrote:
> On 11/5/14 12:04 PM, Paul Rubin wrote:
>> "Elizabeth D. Rather" <erather@forth.com> writes:
>>> some Fortran libraries ... would test some of the parameters to
>>> determine which of half-a-dozen algorithms would be used, the
>>> precision to be used...  The Forth approach, of course, would just be
>>> to have a word for each algorithm/resolution, and you call the one you
>>> want. Your program doesn't even need to load the ones it isn't using.
>>
>> You're saying that the Fortran program did algorithm selection
>> automatically where the Forth approach is to shift that burden over to
>> the user.  I can understand that the Forth approach is easier for the
>> implementer, but really, the point of software is to transfer work away
>> from humans and onto computers.  So The Forth approach's main benefit
>> seems to be reaching a compromise that may be more economically
>> efficient than the Fortran approach in a given situation.  That can be
>> valuable, but it's not a reason to dismiss the value of having the
>> machine do more of the work instead of the human, when it's feasible to
>> do so.
>>
>
> Actually, no. The Fortran program left the burden to the user, who
> specified everything in terms of selection parameters to this massive,
> hairy piece of code.

There is lots of bad code running around.  That doesn't make Fortran a 
bad language.  A lot of bad code has been written in Forth I am sure.

-- 

Rick

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Does Forth solve the paradox? forthisit@gmail.com - 2014-11-05 08:08 -0800
  Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? albert@spenarnc.xs4all.nl (Albert van der Horst) - 2014-11-05 19:45 +0000
    Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? "Elizabeth D. Rather" <erather@forth.com> - 2014-11-05 10:43 -1000
      Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? Paul Rubin <no.email@nospam.invalid> - 2014-11-05 14:04 -0800
        Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? "Elizabeth D. Rather" <erather@forth.com> - 2014-11-05 12:49 -1000
          Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2014-11-05 18:13 -0500
            Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? "Elizabeth D. Rather" <erather@forth.com> - 2014-11-05 13:54 -1000
            Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? albert@spenarnc.xs4all.nl (Albert van der Horst) - 2014-11-06 10:13 +0000
          Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? the_gavino_himself <visphatesjava@gmail.com> - 2014-11-05 20:55 -0800
          Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? Paul Rubin <no.email@nospam.invalid> - 2014-11-05 22:19 -0800
      Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? m.a.m.hendrix@tue.nl - 2014-11-06 03:05 -0800
        Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) - 2014-11-06 11:43 +0000
          Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? m.a.m.hendrix@tue.nl - 2014-11-06 04:46 -0800
            Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) - 2014-11-06 16:58 +0000
    Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2014-11-05 17:22 -0500
    Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? the_gavino_himself <visphatesjava@gmail.com> - 2014-11-05 18:54 -0800
    Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) - 2014-11-06 09:22 +0000
      Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? Mark Wills <markwills1970@gmail.com> - 2014-11-06 03:20 -0800
      Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? Andrew Haley <andrew29@littlepinkcloud.invalid> - 2014-11-06 10:18 -0600
        Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? albert@spenarnc.xs4all.nl (Albert van der Horst) - 2014-11-06 18:30 +0000
          Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? Andrew Haley <andrew29@littlepinkcloud.invalid> - 2014-11-07 03:22 -0600
        Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? "Rod Pemberton" <buzzoff@nonamewhichexists.cmm> - 2014-11-06 16:57 -0500
          Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? forthisit@gmail.com - 2014-11-06 14:38 -0800
          Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? "Elizabeth D. Rather" <erather@forth.com> - 2014-11-06 13:58 -1000
        Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? Paul Rubin <no.email@nospam.invalid> - 2014-11-07 10:40 -0800
          Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? Andrew Haley <andrew29@littlepinkcloud.invalid> - 2014-11-08 02:36 -0600
          Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? "Elizabeth D. Rather" <erather@forth.com> - 2014-11-07 22:45 -1000
        Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? Bernd Paysan <bernd.paysan@gmx.de> - 2014-11-14 01:33 +0100
          Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? m.a.m.hendrix@tue.nl - 2014-11-14 02:34 -0800
          Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? Andrew Haley <andrew29@littlepinkcloud.invalid> - 2014-11-14 05:07 -0600
            Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) - 2014-11-15 16:21 +0000
              Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? Andrew Haley <andrew29@littlepinkcloud.invalid> - 2014-11-15 11:52 -0600
              Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? hughaguilar96@yahoo.com - 2014-11-15 12:47 -0800
              Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? albert@spenarnc.xs4all.nl (Albert van der Horst) - 2014-11-16 00:06 +0000
                Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? Paul E Bennett <Paul_E.Bennett@topmail.co.uk> - 2014-11-16 00:45 +0000
                Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? albert@spenarnc.xs4all.nl (Albert van der Horst) - 2014-11-16 13:39 +0000
      Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? Paul E Bennett <Paul_E.Bennett@topmail.co.uk> - 2014-11-06 19:54 +0000
  Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? Ilya Tarasov <ilya74.tarasov@gmail.com> - 2014-11-06 08:26 -0800
    Re: Does Forth solve the paradox? "Rod Pemberton" <buzzoff@nonamewhichexists.cmm> - 2014-11-06 16:57 -0500

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