[mgp-users 01174] Re: Sam's Improvements; my MGP macro processor

[Sam Steingold <sds@gnu.org>]

Chris,

> * In message <>
> * On the subject of "Re: [mgp-users 01172] Re: Sam's Improvements; my MGP macro processor"
> * Sent on Tue, 03 Jun 2003 05:35:54 +0100
> * Honorable Chris Ball <chris@void.printf.net> writes:
>
> Your argument that we could use a frontend to emulate the current
> syntax is specious -- as you point out, the current syntax is
> ambiguous.  How would we fit it on top of a representation that
> actively forbids this?

A perl script that converts the ambiguous but terse syntax into the
unambiguous XML abomination will have to disambiguate the ambiguities
in a _well_ _documented_ way.

A user who does not like the way it disambiguates the ambiguities, can
modify the script or write his own or commission someone to write a
script he wants.
Or just use the unambiguous syntax directly, like I will, even if I
like the way the script disambiguates the ambiguities.

>    > IMNSHO, people who say "I would rather lose the complete unambiguity 
>    > in exchange for..." [doesn't matter what!] give the bad name to the
>    > profession of a Computer Scientist or Software Engineer or whatever
>    > you call it.
> 
> I'll go half way with you.

Good - so I am half done with converting you :-)

> People who are willing to lose complete unambiguity for a price give a
> bad name to Computer Science; people who are willing to make their
> users write XML give a bad name to Software Engineering.

I am _not_ saying that the user should be forced to write XML.
I _am_ saying that he should be given an option of an absolutely
unambiguous format, e.g., XML, _plus_ a GUI WYSIWYG front-end - or at
least a script that converts the current input to the unambiguous one.

I repeat that the unambiguous format should be there _not_ just for
debugging - it should be expected that some users will actually use it
directly.

> Our dilemma as programmers is to decide which profession we'd rather
> insult more.

it's a bad soldier who does not want to be a general.
it's a bad software engineer who does not think of himself as a
computer scientist.

-- 
Sam Steingold (http://www.podval.org/~sds) running RedHat9 GNU/Linux
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