Why not use juxtaposition to indicate function application

Larry Hudson orgnut at yahoo.com
Sat Mar 17 02:39:28 EDT 2012


On 03/16/2012 05:45 AM, Ray Song wrote:
> I confess i've indulged in Haskell and found
>      f a
> more readable than
>      f(a)
>
> And why aren't functions curried (partially applied function is another function which takes the rest arguments) by default?
>
>
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
>
> --
> Ray

My suggestion is that your question is irrelevant -- Python and Haskell are two different 
languages each with different syntax rules and coming from different backgrounds.  I would say 
that trying to make any language look like some other is, at best, misguided.  Simply learn, and 
get used to, the language you're using AS IT IS DEFINED, not as you think it should be.  If you 
want to combine the features of two different languages, write a new one -- don't expect that 
existing languages are going to change due to someone's whim.  To expect otherwise is simply a 
waste of time.

As to readability, I would suggest that that's more a function of what you're used to than any 
inherent language syntax rules.

If my comments seem harsh -- sorry 'bout that.  I'm old, and sometimes tend to be a curmugeon.

And as a completely irrelevant aside concerning readability:
Is anyone familiar with the IOCCC (International Obfuscated C Coding Contest)?  The object is to 
write the most obscure, but functional, C code possible.  I haven't looked at any of this for 
many years myself, but I just Googled it to see that this contest is still going on.  Anyone 
familiar with C might find it amusing to take a look...

      -=- Larry -=-



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