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From: Jonathan de Boyne Pollard on 4 Mar 2010 15:35
>
>
> And "x == 7" is much more readable than "7 == x".
>
> At least, for English speakers it is. I don't know; maybe there are
> languages in which saying "if x is equal to y" implies that x is the
> constant and y is the variable.
>
Nonsense. This is nothing to do with speaking English. There are
plenty of examples of English prose that use that ordering, from the
King James Bible through handbooks on baseball to Richard Dawkins. You
only find the ordering natural in C for purely circular reasons: It's
natural to (most) C programmers because that's how most C language code
that they have read is written. (And it's written that way because
"It's natural.") Nothing more, and nothing as a result of the English
language.

From: Tim Streater on 4 Mar 2010 17:28
On 04/03/2010 20:35, Jonathan de Boyne Pollard wrote:
>>
>>
>> And "x == 7" is much more readable than "7 == x".
>>
>> At least, for English speakers it is. I don't know; maybe there are
>> languages in which saying "if x is equal to y" implies that x is the
>> constant and y is the variable.
>>
> Nonsense. This is nothing to do with speaking English. There are plenty
> of examples of English prose that use that ordering, from the King James
> Bible through handbooks on baseball to Richard Dawkins. You only find
> the ordering natural in C for purely circular reasons: It's natural to
> (most) C programmers because that's how most C language code that they
> have read is written. (And it's written that way because "It's
> natural.") Nothing more, and nothing as a result of the English language.

Rubbish. You don't say "if that chicken is an animal then I'll eat it",
you say "If that animal is a chicken then I'll eat it".

--
Tim

"That the freedom of speech and debates or proceedings in Parliament
ought not to be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of
Parliament"

Bill of Rights 1689
From: Nick on 4 Mar 2010 17:39
Tim Streater <timstreater(a)waitrose.com> writes:

> On 04/03/2010 20:35, Jonathan de Boyne Pollard wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> And "x == 7" is much more readable than "7 == x".
>>>
>>> At least, for English speakers it is. I don't know; maybe there are
>>> languages in which saying "if x is equal to y" implies that x is the
>>> constant and y is the variable.
>>>
>> Nonsense. This is nothing to do with speaking English. There are plenty
>> of examples of English prose that use that ordering, from the King James
>> Bible through handbooks on baseball to Richard Dawkins. You only find
>> the ordering natural in C for purely circular reasons: It's natural to
>> (most) C programmers because that's how most C language code that they
>> have read is written. (And it's written that way because "It's
>> natural.") Nothing more, and nothing as a result of the English language.
>
> Rubbish. You don't say "if that chicken is an animal then I'll eat
> it", you say "If that animal is a chicken then I'll eat it".

If wrong you are, my hat I will eat.
--
Online waterways route planner | http://canalplan.eu
Plan trips, see photos, check facilities | http://canalplan.org.uk
From: Rick Jones on 4 Mar 2010 17:44
In comp.unix.programmer Nick <3-nospam(a)temporary-address.org.uk> wrote:
> If wrong you are, my hat I will eat.

Yes, Master Yoda :)

rick jones
--
a wide gulf separates "what if" from "if only"
these opinions are mine, all mine; HP might not want them anyway... :)
feel free to post, OR email to rick.jones2 in hp.com but NOT BOTH...
From: Tim Streater on 4 Mar 2010 18:15
On 04/03/2010 22:39, Nick wrote:
> Tim Streater<timstreater(a)waitrose.com> writes:
>
>> On 04/03/2010 20:35, Jonathan de Boyne Pollard wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> And "x == 7" is much more readable than "7 == x".
>>>>
>>>> At least, for English speakers it is. I don't know; maybe there are
>>>> languages in which saying "if x is equal to y" implies that x is the
>>>> constant and y is the variable.
>>>>
>>> Nonsense. This is nothing to do with speaking English. There are plenty
>>> of examples of English prose that use that ordering, from the King James
>>> Bible through handbooks on baseball to Richard Dawkins. You only find
>>> the ordering natural in C for purely circular reasons: It's natural to
>>> (most) C programmers because that's how most C language code that they
>>> have read is written. (And it's written that way because "It's
>>> natural.") Nothing more, and nothing as a result of the English language.
>>
>> Rubbish. You don't say "if that chicken is an animal then I'll eat
>> it", you say "If that animal is a chicken then I'll eat it".
>
> If wrong you are, my hat I will eat.

My case I rest.

--
Tim

"That the freedom of speech and debates or proceedings in Parliament
ought not to be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of
Parliament"

Bill of Rights 1689
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