Re: "Self-Segregating Syntax"?

On Thu, 20 Apr 2006 16:14:28 +0100, Simon Clarkstone
<simon.clarkstone@...> wrote:
>On 4/18/06, Eldin Raigmore <eldin_raigmore@...> wrote:
>>It looks like there are the following three main ways to delimit the
>>[snip]
>>3. Encode the length of the group at one (or both) of its margins:  Either
>>3a At the beginning of every group; or,
>>[snip]
>>Has anyone come up with any other ideas?  Or run into ideas someone else
>>has come up with?
>Well, I have been pondering
>a bracket-type scheme (see LISP), and
>a SADOL-type scheme (3a, I believe).
>My experience with
>algebra,
>the Haskell $ operator
>and
>curried functions,
>knowledge of
>forks in J
>(http://www.jsoftware.com/books/help/dictionary/intro05.htm),
>and the meaning of
>[] in some dialects of LISP,
>leads me to believe that a slightly ad-hoc system would be best, with
>short, irregular ways to specify the common cases, and a more complete way
>that can specify anything.
Thanks.

I have some questions.

1. What does "a bracket-type scheme (see LISP)" mean?  I thought I knew
what brackets are, and I've done _some_ LISP (actually MACSYMA rather than
LISP proper); but I'm not positive what you mean.

2. What does "a SADOL-type scheme" mean?  I've never heard of SADOL
before.  Looking it up in Google doesn't give me any programming languages
among the first 10 hits; is it a programming language?

3. At least I know what "algebra" means; so I guess this really isn't a
question, is it?

4. What is "the Haskell $ operator"? (And who was Haskell?)
(partial answer: Haskell is a programming language named after logician
Haskell B. Curry.  The $ operator is some operator in this language, but
I'm not sure how you meant it to apply to this thread.)

5. What are "curried functions"? (Does this have anything to do with Hilary
F.B. Curry (if I got the name right, which seems doubtful)? Or Haskell
Brooks Curry, whoever he was?)
(partial answer; a "curried function" is (one of a set of examples of)
function(s) which return(s) a function as a value.
For instance if there is a function f(x,y), and G is "curried f", then for
each x the value of G(x) will be the function g such that for each y,
g(y)=f(x,y).
In general "curried f" takes only the first argument of f as its argument,
and returns as a value a function taking the remaining arguments of f.
This looks like it fits into Categorial Grammar quite well; and also into
the C programming languages type-building scheme.  So it seems it might be
attractive to me.
But how, exactly, did you mean it to be applied to this thread?)

BTW I like Indian cooking, especially South Indian cooking.  But if I take
printouts of the functions I've written and curry them, they're still not
as appetizing as curried beef or curried chicken.

6. "forks in J"
http://www.jsoftware.com/books/help/dictionary/intro05.htm
I have no previous exposure to the J programming language.  I read the htm
document referred to by the above URL; but it did not explain to me what
you expected it to; I suppose I need to start earlier in the website.
The "forks" look like I'd probably be interested in them if I understood
them.
What did you mean to apply from that notion to the subject of "self-
segregating syntax"?

7. What does "[]" mean in the "dialects of LISP" to which you refer?  How
is that different from its meaning in other dialects of LISP? Perhaps I
don't have enough _direct_ knowledge of LISP _proper_ for your intent to be
obvious to me.

------

Thanks a lot.

eldin

Reply