[MUD-Dev] Languages

[Miroslav Silovic]

> 
> Hmm. I must be missing something. In my AmigaMUD language I can do:
> 
>     list thing contents;
> 
>     contents := ....;
>     if contents = nil then
> 	/* there is no contents list */
>     elif Count(contents) = 0 then
> 	/* the list is empty */
>     else
> 	iterate through the list
>     fi;
> 
> Here, an empty list and *no list* are different situations.

Neat. So what's the type of nil? :) It's obviously not a list. How do
you declare it? And why is it better than completely generic types (if
you still have to check whether it's a list or nil in every list
operation, you could just as well check for all other types)?

<snip>

> dependent. And yet the scenario doesn't have to worry about it - output
> formatting etc. will just happen.

Actually I'm really interested about your method of client-dependant
hypertext formatting. Start a new thread? :)

> Gack! Are you seriously suggesting special interpretation of some
> numbers rammed into a 'carrying' list, based on their position in that
> list, or some such? Again, my approach gave me another alternative, which

Of course not. I'm saying what /needs/ to be stored (i.e. semantics).
Syntax should me more convenient than this.


>     newWhatever := CreateThing(modelWhatever);
>     newWhatever at property := 136;
> 
> The only space used in 'newWhatever', asside from the small fixed overhead
> for each 'thing', is 8 bytes used to identify and store the overriding
> value of 'property'.

I agree here. Lightweight objects are Good Thing.

> :Don't worry about it too much. If Scheme can be compiled to run about
> :as fast as C, then anything else can. :)
> 
> Grfff! Can you please tell me what you are saying is unsafe in my setup?
> If there is a problem I want to fix it!

Err, no, if you said it was safe, I believe you. This is independant
statement: I don't like thinking about implementation when designing
the language. It can destroy the design (the problem is called
'premature optimization'). I'm not saying it did, in your case...
How about starting serious thread on language design, with concrete
language proposals?

> Perhaps it is time to take this off the mailing list?

Jon asked not to. :)

	Miro