programming languages

[Paul Matthews]

OK I've calmed down now. Does not look like there is
any real viable alternative to C/C++. OCaml looks
interesting, by the syntax is a little off putting,
especially the + +. distinctions. 

My main whinge with C is the lack of usefull string
and array abstractions. The same applies to C++. The
STL seems to add <b>huge</b> amounts of bloat for very
little real value. Debugging and profiling STL is
close to impossible due to the bizare an very very
long names.

[ STL aside: How do you binary insert a single value
into an already sorted array.]

What I do need now is an embedded language, but one
with a twist. Because I'm writting relationalish
database product, it needs to know about NULLs. That
is:

  substr(NULL,0,1) is not "" but NULL. 
  "Hello"+NULL is NULL not "Hello".
  (a<b) may return NULL not just 'true' or 'false'

Lua (http://www.lua.org) is close. It's small. Easy to
compile anywhere (ie the mainframe). But it doesn not
handle NaN and NULL properly.

Anyone know where I can find information about
creating my own litte embedded, typesafe, functional,
ternary logic scripting language?

;-)

--
Paul Matthews

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--
Paul Matthews
plm at pcug.org.au

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