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From: Murray Eisenberg on 26 Jul 2010 07:22
No, not really!

As with nearly any programming language, it's possible to write nearly
inscrutable code -- even with Mathematica.

In APL, lots of folks did, and may still do, try to write "one-liners"
and use cryptic names for variables and functions. But lots of APL code,
even though very, very terse, could be, and is, very readable -- if you
know the language!

In fact, one reason for APL's popularity, and continued use, is that the
developer can throw together a prototype quickly. And modify the
prototype until the results meet the client's ever-changing need.
"Read-never" could hardly be the case with such code that one needs to
modify and otherwise maintain frequently.

The "write-once, read-never" designation is thus to some extent a
slander perpetrated by people who did not bother to learn the (very
descriptive) symbols, syntax, or semantics, or who were unable or
unwilling to do the higher-level thinking involved in manipulating
entire arrays at once.

On 7/25/2010 2:00 AM, AES wrote:
> In article<i2eadd$q1l$1(a)smc.vnet.net>,
> Murray Eisenberg<murray(a)math.umass.edu> wrote:
>
>> Fewer keystrokes is not the sole metric for simplicity! Code readability
>> is another.
>
> Agreed!
>
> Wasn't APL the classic example of a language with near-minimum
> keystrokes, near-maximum unreadability? -- such that APL programs were
> sometimes characterized as "write once, read never".
>

--
Murray Eisenberg murray(a)math.umass.edu
Mathematics & Statistics Dept.
Lederle Graduate Research Tower phone 413 549-1020 (H)
University of Massachusetts 413 545-2859 (W)
710 North Pleasant Street fax 413 545-1801
Amherst, MA 01003-9305

From: telefunkenvf14 on 27 Jul 2010 04:17

> In APL, lots of folks did, and may still do, try to write "one-liners"
> and use cryptic names for variables and functions.

This reminds me of a link I know I have saved somewhere... ah, found
it!

An essay by Roedy Green on how to write unreadable and difficult to
maintain code. Hilariously tongue in cheek way to learn what NOT to
do. Scroll down and start with 'General Principles'. Use the -> button
at the bottom of each page to navigate the essay (the page design is a
bit messy!). You will laugh. I promise.

http://mindprod.com/jgloss/unmain.html

-RG

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