Re: OOP - a question about database access
Date: 11 Nov 2003 08:14:47 -0800
Message-ID: <bcb8c360.0311110814.5d8cd927_at_posting.google.com>
alfredo_at_ncs.es (Alfredo Novoa) wrote in message news:<e4330f45.0311100445.3e9c1f77_at_posting.google.com>...
>
> Are user defined operators applications??
>
I wouldn't say so.
> Are builtin operators like join, union, etc also applications?
>
I definitely wouldn't say so.
> application program
>
> <programming, operating system> (Or "application", "app") A
> complete, self-contained program that performs a specific
> function directly for the user. This is in contrast to system
> software such as the operating system kernel, server
> processes and libraries which exists to support application
> programs.
>
Self-contained ? "directly for the user" ? What about batch processes
?
> According to this, MonthEnd() is not an application.
>
If you're arguing that MonthEnd() is an operator, then to which data
type or domain does it belong ?
How about; an operator (system or user defined) is a general function on a particular data type, and an application is a combination of operators to perform a user specific computation ? (Thinking off the top of my head; no doubt someone will think of umpteen counter-examples, alternate definitions, blah-de-blah).
> > > I think that the future is for D like languages, but probably it will
> > > be in a distant future.
> > >
I don't; otherwise, the future is more of the past. Just a little
nicer.
> Users prove that all the time. They are always able to invent weird
> presentation rules that no developer could imagine :)
>
But they'll still be able to to tell you how things should happen; if
they can't, then there's still a pile of analysis/cajoling/thinking to
be done.
> I don't remember the page, but TTM says that in practice you can not
> build a declarative system that is able to express everything.
>
I would be *extremely* interested to see the chapter and verse for
this quote; for the simple reason that I don't really believe it; what
examples were/are given ?
[snip]
> Speaking loosely, because declarative works when you say the "what"
> and the system knows the "how", but when the system does not know the
> "how" you must show it, and this is procedural programming.
>
Think about that statement for a moment; in other words, "I can't tell
you what I want you to do, but I can tell you how to go about it" ?
- Tony