Re: Low-level vs. High-level programming (was My First Computer)

["Randy McLaughlin" <randy@nospam.com>]

"Really" <barryem@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:9856b2ab0276084facaaa804f3a5f414@TeraNews...
> "Paul Schlyter" <pausch@saaf.se> wrote in message
> news:bcvu45$1tjm$1@merope.saaf.se...
> > In article <038073c84e3fe3a00a40ffb3fe9d76b5@TeraNews>,
> > Really <barryem@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > >"Tjoff Tjonk" <tjoff@tjonk.now> wrote in message
> > >pan.2003.06.20.07.22.12.341074@tjonk.now">news:pan.2003.06.20.07.22.12.341074@tjonk.now...
> > >> On Thu, 19 Jun 2003 17:09:30 -0500, Randy McLaughlin wrote:
> > >>
> > >> There are no fundamental differences between a compiler and an
> > >> interpreter; it is possible to write a BASIC compiler, and it
> is
> > >> possible to write a C or C++ interpreter.
> > >
> > >I have BASIC compilers and a C interpreter (quincy).  This has
> no
> > >real bearing on the argument.
> > >
> > >My definition says machine instructions are a program.  Compiled
> C
> > >and some compiled BASICs produce machine instructions and are
> > >therefore programs.
> > >
> > >Interpreted code, be it C or BASIC, don't produce machine
> > >instructions.  In the absence of their interpreter they can do
> > >nothing at all.  As with HTML.  The program is the interpreter.
> >
> > Does that mean that an Apple II Basic program is not a program?
> >
> > Does that mean that an Apple II machine language program is a
> program
> > only if run on Apple II hardware, but nit if interpreted on an
> Apple II
> > software emulator ???
>
> You too are right.  My definition doesn't work here.  Consider it
> withdrawn.
>
> Barry

That's the problem with trying to pound down a definition to hard.

I have yet to find a definition of a programming language better than a
language used to program a computer.  One person posted two references about
computer programming languages, but all they did was name a couple of
languages and stated the languages are broken into different gl classes, but
no definition of what a language must contain to be a language.

I have seen people argue about needing to have the ability to write a
program that modify graphics to be a programming language.  What states must
be available, etc.  I have yet to see any evidence showing more than the
dictionary definition.