Re: Axiom musings...

[Tim Daly]

Also of interest is the talk
"The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Dynamic Typing for Practical Programs"
https://vimeo.com/74354480
which questions whether static typing really has any benefit.

Tim


On 1/19/21, Tim Daly <axiomcas@gmail.com> wrote:
> Peter Naur wrote an article of interest:
> http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/Naur.pdf
>
> In particular, it mirrors my notion that Axiom needs
> to embrace literate programming so that the "theory
> of the problem" is presented as well as the "theory
> of the solution". I quote the introduction:
>
>
>
> This article is, to my mind, the most accurate account
> of what goes on in designing and coding a program.
> I refer to it regularly when discussing how much
> documentation to create, how to pass along tacit
> knowledge, and the value of the XP's metaphor-setting
> exercise. It also provides a way to examine a methodolgy's
> economic structure.
>
> In the article, which follows, note that the quality of the
> designing programmer's work is related to the quality of
> the match between his theory of the problem and his theory
> of the solution. Note that the quality of a later programmer's
> work is related to the match between his theories and the
> previous programmer's theories.
>
> Using Naur's ideas, the designer's job is not to pass along
> "the design" but to pass along "the theories" driving the design.
> The latter goal is more useful and more appropriate. It also
> highlights that knowledge of the theory is tacit in the owning, and
> so passing along the thoery requires passing along both explicit
> and tacit knowledge.
>
> Tim
>