undefined | Better HN

0 pointsLiron6y ago0 comments

Ya, here's why I think "make your programs shorter" is a good criterion.

If a language compresses conceivably-desirable programs to a smaller AST size, then for all N, a higher fraction of size-N ASTs (compared to other languages) represent conceivably-desirable programs.

So "make your programs shorter" also implies "make bad behaviors impossible or extra-verbose to write". For example, failing to free your memory is bad code, and it's impossible(ish) to write in managed-memory languages.

0 comments

3 comments · 2 top-level

jstimpfle6y ago· 1 in thread

Make your programs as short as possible, but no shorter. Failing to free your memory makes for a shorter program. Using GC makes for a shorter program, but there is a whole class of problems that just can't be solved with GC.

badatshipping6y ago

I think deciding to not free your memory or use GC (instead of not) would count as having a different program.

LrnByTeach6y ago

> So "make your programs shorter" also implies "make bad behaviors impossible or extra-verbose to write".

It reminds me "The Zen of Python" "There should be one — and preferably only one — obvious way to do it"

https://jeffknupp.com/blog/2018/10/11/write-better-python-fu...

https://towardsdatascience.com/how-to-be-pythonic-and-why-yo...

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse