Re: Command Languages Versus Programming Languages

Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> writes:

On Fri, 29 Mar 2024 08:09:46 -0300, Johanne Fairchild wrote:
>

Consider looking at a shell language like a domain-specific programming
language.  A shell is a programming language made specifically for
running programs. ...  (Of course, the idea evolves and you want to
glue programs, do variable substitution et cetera.)

>
That’s the thing. The design for a “language made specifically for running
programs” always seems to start with the assumption that what the user
types is to be passed as literal text, unless special markers are present
to indicate that they want to “glue programs, do variable substitution et
cetera”. Notice your use of the term “variable substitution”, which is
characteristic of a shell language: in a programming language, you don’t
call it “substitution”, you call it “evaluation”.

That's right.  Substitution is evaluation; a specific form of.

You seem to find trouble with using a programming language in a REPL.

>
I find REPLs annoying and inconvenient. If I want to do “scratchpad”
programming, I do it in a Jupyter notebook.

That's something to think about.  Your perception is wildly different
from a lot of people who have thought and think very deeply about the
whole craft.

Consider your Lisp writing, which violates the culture of Lisp writing.
Of course you should keep your independence, but maybe there are good
reasons why the culture is as it is---not all culture is fashion.