5 replies to this topic

[bobdark]

Whats a definition of a programming language? What do You consider to be a programming language? I'm interested in different views on the subject (or maybe I'm just wrong and this question has specific answer - in that case please post it :) ).

[alienkinetics]

At the end of the day, there is only one language. Machine langauge. But one could argue that machine language is just defined using logic gates.

Logic gate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

But, then someone else can argue that logic gates are define by electricity. you will then get someone else defining electricity as electrons.

Then you will get some dude that defines electrons in terms of some wacky einstein theory of how my toilet is somehow curved in space.

My view is a programming language is pure entertainment. After all 70% of the internet is porn, so therefore the programming language was defined to serve porn.

The rest (ie: 30%) most likely is for sending out electric bills and to write games. O, and dont forget the wordprocessors for writing recipes and resumes.

Btw, im JOKING

[WingedPanther]

Generally, anything that is logically equivalent to a Turing Machine specification.

[Actor]

Something is a programming language if and only if it can be described with Backus-Naur form.

By that definition English is a programming language, and it is. As of yet I don't think anyone has written a BNF description for English, or written a compiler (I think some AI types are trying.) Anyone who comes up with a good compiler for English is going to make millions. Same goes for German, French, Italian, Spanish, Swahili, Bantu, Hebrew, Yiddish, etc, etc.

Hal's program in 2001: a Space Odyssey is probably an English compiler/de-compiler, as is the "working" computer on Star Trek. C3PO in Star Wars is thousands of compiler/de-compilers, if you believe his claims. On the other hand, R2D2 (beep beep) is just a mainframe in a garbage can.

[WingedPanther]

You are asserting that BNF for English must exist. Perhaps for a subset of English, but there are too many simple statements that are valid English that cannot be compiled.

"Bob and Joe were walking down the street. Suddenly, he hit him." Who got hit?

[AIGuy]

I can't "compile" that. Why should I expect a computer too? :)