the python name

[Avi Gross]

William,

Although I used FORTRAN ages ago and it still seems to be in active use, I am not clear on why the name FORMULA TRANSLATOR was chosen. I do agree it does sound more like a computer language based on both the sound and feel of FORTRAN as well as the expanded version.

It seems to have been designed as a mathematical extension of sorts that allowed you to evaluate a mathematical formula efficiently. I mean things like quadratic equations. But there is overlap with what other languages like COBOL or BASIC did at the time.

What gets me is the vagueness of the words looked at by ME today. Any modern computing language can do what standard FORTRAN does, albeit perhaps more slowly as I know some languages do some of their math using libraries from FORTRAN. But do we use the word TRANSLATOR quite that way much anymore? Heck, do we use FORMULA in the same way?

My most recent use of formula has been in the R language where there is a distinct object type called a formula that can be used to specify models when doing things like a regression on data. I am more likely to call the other kind using words like "equation". Python has an add-on that does symbolic manipulation. Did FORTRAN have any of these enhanced objects back when created, or even now?

As I joked in an earlier message, I remember using a version of FORTRAN called WATFOR. Yes, there was a WATFIV. 



-----Original Message-----
From: Python-list <python-list-bounces+avigross=verizon.net at python.org> On Behalf Of William Ray Wing via Python-list
Sent: Friday, January 4, 2019 11:06 AM
To: Python <python-list at python.org>
Cc: William R. Wing <wrw at mac.com>
Subject: Re: the python name

On 3/01/19 2:03 PM, Avi Gross wrote:
> Challenge: Can we name any computer language whose name really would suggest it was a computer language?
> I think the name is the least important aspect of a computer language.

I’d like to propose that classic FORTRAN (FORmulaTRANslator) came/comes close.

Bill
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