Re: [Gnu-arch-users] Re: Tla spork

[Andrew Suffield]

On Fri, Aug 27, 2004 at 05:45:28PM +0200, Robin Farine wrote:
> On Friday 27 August 2004 17.02, John Meinel wrote:
> 
> > (+ (+ a b) (- (c (/ (*d (* e f)) (* g (+ n 1)))
> > Versus
> > a + b + c - (d * e * f) / (g * (n + 1))
> 
> If we want two equivalent expressions, one written in a 
> non-ambiguous prefix notation and the other written in an infix 
> notation without any implicit rule of precedence, we would write 
> something like:
> 
>   (+ a b (- c (/ (* d e f) (* g (+ n 1)))))
> 
> versus
> 
>   a + b + (c - ((d * e * f) / (g * (n + 1))))
> 
> I tend to prefer the first version. If now we add rules of 
> precedence to the infix notation, then I definitely prefer the 
> first version.

And I say you're nuts for writing it like that, and do it like this:

   a + b + c - (alpha / beta)
     where alpha = d * e * f
           beta = g * (n + 1)

Even better if you have real names for alpha and beta.

-- 
  .''`.  ** Debian GNU/Linux ** | Andrew Suffield
 : :' :  http://www.debian.org/ |
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