Subject: Re: Is there a useful distinction between "programming" and "scripting" languages? From: Erik Naggum <erik@naggum.no> Date: 18 Sep 2002 00:25:43 +0000 Newsgroups: comp.lang.lisp Message-ID: <3241297543207241@naggum.no> * Erann Gat | The argument about whether HTML is or isn't a "programming" language | reminded me of something I've been wondering about for a while: is there a | useful distinction to be made between "programming" and "scripting" | languages? * Len Charest | No. | | "Scripting" is a subset of "programming". I am quite surprised to see several of these responses. If things that are A are a subset of things that are B, but there is no distinction between A and B, then the two sets should also be identical. Although a subset of a set may be identical to the set in strict mathematical formalism, I find it quite odd to use these terms this way when the purpose is to say that the two sets are identical, so that leaves me with the only option that one of the two statements are false. I err on the side of a distinction because it is quite possible that one would not be able to name the distinction, but still know of at least one programming language that is not a scripting language. I believe the obvious distinction is found in the fact that not all programming languages are scripting languages. I actually wonder why people seem to want to deny this. -- Erik Naggum, Oslo, Norway Act from reason, and failure makes you rethink and study harder. Act from faith, and failure makes you blame someone and push harder.