Re: Command Languages Versus Programming Languages

"Dmitry A. Kazakov" <mailbox@dmitry-kazakov.de> writes:

On 2024-03-29 02:14, Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:

At one time, we distinguished between “scripting” languages and
“programming” languages. To begin with, the “scripting” languages were
somehow more limited in functionality than full-fledged “programming”
languages. Or they were slower, because they were interpreted.

[...]
>
The key difference is that a program in a scripting language need not
to be complete or known in order to be executed.
>
The limitations and ugliness of scripting languages is determined by
this requirement, but also easiness of use.

Perl, Python, and Lua are all considered scripting languages, and for
all of them a syntax error at the end of a script will prevent any of it
from being executed.  The distinction is that they're not optimized for
interactive use, as shell languages are (though they all can be used
interactively).

If you want to say that Python isn't a scripting language because of
that, I won't argue, but others will.

There are a lot of dividing lines (compiled to machine code vs. compiled
to byte code (on each execution or just once) vs. interpreted (perhaps
with JIT), interactive vs. batch, strong vs. weak typing, static
vs. dynamic typing, etc.).  None of them are rigorously defined, and
none of them particularly need to be.

--
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keith) Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com
Working, but not speaking, for Medtronic
void Void(void) { Void(); } /* The recursive call of the void */