Re: Multiplicity, Change and MV

Bob Badour wrote:

<quote>
"The major attraction of the modern elixirs is that they relieve their consumers from the obligation of being precise by presenting an interface too fuzzy to be precise in: by suppressing the symptoms of impotence they create an illusion of power."

In his essay, he refers to "modern elixirs" as languages purported to obviate the need for programmers -- a claim I have heard many times by Pickies.

Pickies are universally intoxicated by the illusion of power to which Dijkstra refers.
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FWIW True, 'Pickies' tend to drink from the same cup -

However, in most RM environments there is a definite split between a Data Base Administrator function and a Programmer function. The rules applicable to each are separate and different. The RM DB model allows/requires certain business logic to reside in the database - where admitedly is makes more sense when diverse applications will access the same data. In 'Pickdom', the tasks associated with Programming an application and Administering the database are commonly combined. This is not a requirement, but rather a practical extension of the need for both tasks to follow common logic concerning processing outcomes.

In most theoretical analysis, processing outcomes are not relevant. The details of storage, retrieval, optimisation, constraints (rules), etc is of primary concern. An abstract theoretical manipulaton of data within the confines of a file system is all that is examined, in sometimes excrutiating detail. Underlying operating systems, microprocessor specifications, memory use and allocation, rarely (if ever) enters into the discussion. The idea is that given a compelling prototypical design, the rest of it will be made to fit in any way possible to support the design.

This is a good thing, unless you are trying to actually get something done...

BFaux ;-) Received on Thu Apr 20 2006 - 19:26:18 CEST