Best/Densest languages [was RE: PROGRAMMING: Free Tools]

Robert J. Bradbury (bradbury@www.aeiveos.com)
Sun, 26 Sep 1999 09:53:54 -0700 (PDT)

On Sun, 26 Sep 1999, O'Regan, Emlyn wrote:

> Actually, I'll agree that the most extropic language would probably be C
> (C++ has had too many commitees involved to be in the running). But I'll
> still support Delphi; it survives because it is such a powerful programming
> tool, which has evolved from a long line of powerful programming tools
> which were commercially successful because they were just really good.
>

What about Perl? Its primarily the product of a single mind but incorporates the insights of many.

And isn't there a new language running around Bell Labs?

I believe a recent interview with Ken Thompson, praised the "new language" (or it could have been their new OS) because it only allowed a single way of doing things, in contrast to Perl where there are many ways of doing things.

If I am to believe an axiom of the "enlightened" perspective, then the greatest freedom is to have no choice? [So you focus on just doing the job, rather than the best way to do the job...]

What is currently the densest language (i.e. the fewest lines on the part of the programmer, result in the greatest amount of work on the part of the machine?) SQL?

Robert