Timeline for Why can't there be an "universal" programming language that serves all purposes?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
21 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 18, 2023 at 17:44 | comment | added | Petruza | I don't think the analogy works, a foldable knife has physical constraints, it can't contain a big enough blade for carving a chicken and fit it in a small enough handle to use the more precise tools. Software, on the other hand, has no physical constraints* and having the possibility of using dynamic typing but sticking to static typing does not occupy space, nor make the tool heavier to carry, you just use what you need with no bad concequencies. * Nowadays we could ignore storage space and memory consumption, compilation times, etc. within acceptable values. | |
| May 3, 2023 at 10:50 | comment | added | Magne | The polar opposite to "the swiss-army knife" would be to have a "chicken-carving machine". Truly single-use (equivalent of a DSL perhaps). The middle ground would be to have a knife: a tool that is specialized to a generally useful action (cutting/carving) and not to a use case/domain (chicken processing). | |
| May 18, 2013 at 23:39 | history | edited | gnat | CC BY-SA 3.0 | quote from the referenced link |
| Nov 27, 2012 at 6:17 | comment | added | Aivar | @DeveloperDon, not all languages can have while statements, not all languages need statements at all. | |
| Aug 20, 2012 at 21:53 | comment | added | DeveloperDon | Not sure the analogy is a complete fit. Is a computer language like a pocket knife, constrained by physical demands and ergonomics? Some variation between computer languages is notation. How much does notation vary among mathematicians? Semantics behind languages represent iteration, data type, etc. If every country except the US can adopt the metric system, why can't we write if, for, while, switch statements the same? We can't change existing languages, but I vote for reusing syntax as new languages evolve so we can put our attention on more important issues. | |
| Aug 20, 2012 at 6:09 | comment | added | Dibbeke | This answer is a horrible analogy. Perhaps if you had written: because the french language allows a different fidelity of expression than the english language, I might have liked the analogy better. But computer languages are not 'things', nor human languages. The correct answer is: we do not know. It'll require more insight in how humans express logic and how they arrive at this point. Furthermore, some languages are 'meta-languages', able to express other DSLs. Should we include these in your question? | |
| Apr 22, 2011 at 1:28 | comment | added | Rook | Edited an answer: Sorry David, but I just couldn't resist ;) | |
| Apr 22, 2011 at 1:28 | history | edited | Rook | CC BY-SA 3.0 | added 130 characters in body |
| Mar 24, 2011 at 12:24 | history | made wiki | Post Made Community Wiki | ||
| Jan 29, 2011 at 14:58 | comment | added | Tom Hawtin - tackline | @Chris I would expect a single general-purpose car should suffice for most people. | |
| Jan 29, 2011 at 7:08 | comment | added | Stephen C | Re the original answer: I never realized that "the handle gets all slippery and hard to hold" would apply to a programming language. | |
| Jan 29, 2011 at 7:05 | comment | added | Stephen C | Hmm ... how about dueling with water pistols and helmets made of potassium metal. | |
| Jan 29, 2011 at 6:54 | comment | added | Dan Rosenstark | For the same reason that if a chicken had you on the table, he would not use a carving knife whatsoever. And by this I mean, "some people hate statically-typed languages." | |
| Oct 5, 2010 at 20:00 | comment | added | Brad Mace | If you had a swiss army knife that did all the things you needed to build a house, would it be any good at any of them? | |
| Sep 19, 2010 at 10:31 | comment | added | Josh K | @Rusty: Cue the laugh. ;) | |
| Sep 18, 2010 at 15:44 | comment | added | Rusty | For the same reason you never go in with a Sicilian when death is on the line. | |
| Sep 18, 2010 at 15:43 | comment | added | Rusty | @Chris What if it is a water pistol duel ? | |
| Sep 17, 2010 at 23:53 | vote | accept | killown | ||
| Sep 17, 2010 at 20:00 | comment | added | Sam Dolan | @Chris: Haha, last time I was in Cabo San Lucas, there were truck vs. minivan street races in the middle of the night... pretty freakin' hilarious/entertaining if you ask me. | |
| Sep 17, 2010 at 19:42 | comment | added | Chris | For the same reason you do not bring a minivan to a drag race. For the same reason you do not bring a water pistol to a duel. | |
| Sep 17, 2010 at 19:14 | history | answered | David_001 | CC BY-SA 2.5 |