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3.3 KiB
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24 lines
3.3 KiB
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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1" standalone="no"?>
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<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><title>candygrammar</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="../../jargon.css" type="text/css"/><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.61.0"/><link rel="home" href="../index.html" title="The Jargon File"/><link rel="up" href="../C.html" title="C"/><link rel="previous" href="Cancelmoose.html" title="Cancelmoose[tm]"/><link rel="next" href="canonical.html" title="canonical"/></head><body><div class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header"><tr><th colspan="3" align="center">candygrammar</th></tr><tr><td width="20%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="Cancelmoose.html">Prev</a><EFBFBD></td><th width="60%" align="center">C</th><td width="20%" align="right"><EFBFBD><a accesskey="n" href="canonical.html">Next</a></td></tr></table><hr/></div><dt><a id="candygrammar"/><dt xmlns="" id="candygrammar"><b>candygrammar</b>: <span xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="grammar">n.</span></dt></dt><dd><p> A programming-language grammar that is mostly <a href="../S/syntactic-sugar.html"><i class="glossterm">syntactic
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sugar</i></a>; the term is also a play on ‘candygram’.
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<a href="COBOL.html"><i class="glossterm">COBOL</i></a>, Apple's Hypertalk language, and a lot of the
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so-called ‘4GL’ database languages share this property. The
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usual intent of such designs is that they be as English-like as possible,
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on the theory that they will then be easier for unskilled people to
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program. This intention comes to grief on the reality that syntax isn't
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what makes programming hard; it's the mental effort and organization
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required to specify an algorithm precisely that costs. Thus the invariable
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result is that ‘candygrammar’ languages are just as difficult
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to program in as terser ones, and far more painful for the experienced
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hacker.</p><p>[The overtones from the old Chevy Chase skit on Saturday Night Live
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should not be overlooked. This was a <i class="citetitle">Jaws</i> parody.
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Someone lurking outside an apartment door tries all kinds of bogus ways to
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get the occupant to open up, while ominous music plays in the background.
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The last attempt is a half-hearted “<span class="quote">Candygram!</span>” When the door
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is opened, a shark bursts in and chomps the poor occupant. [There is a
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similar gag in “<span class="quote">Blazing Saddles</span>” —ESR] There is a moral
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here for those attracted to candygrammars. Note that, in many circles,
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pretty much the same ones who remember Monty Python sketches, all it takes
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is the word “<span class="quote">Candygram!</span>”, suitably timed, to get people
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rolling on the floor. — GLS]</p></dd><div class="navfooter"><hr/><table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer"><tr><td width="40%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="Cancelmoose.html">Prev</a><EFBFBD></td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="u" href="../C.html">Up</a></td><td width="40%" align="right"><EFBFBD><a accesskey="n" href="canonical.html">Next</a></td></tr><tr><td width="40%" align="left" valign="top">Cancelmoose[tm]<5D></td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="h" href="../index.html">Home</a></td><td width="40%" align="right" valign="top"><EFBFBD>canonical</td></tr></table></div></body></html>
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