Mail-From: PATTERMANN created at 14-Feb-83 12:25:09
Date: Mon 14 Feb 83 12:25:09-PST
From: Ed Pattermann <PATTERMANN@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA>
Subject: Fur sure Fur sure ...
To: bboard@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA


          NEW PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE EMPHASIZES NOVICE USERS

   LOS ANGELES (AP) -  The California State University at Northridge
announced today its entry into the ever growing field of new
programming languages.  The new language, dubbed VALGOL, is aimed at
the inexperienced programmer.
   "Most programming languages assume too much sophistication from
the user," charges the VALGOL report.  "Our goal is to produce a
language that is emminently usable by novices and casuals, as well
as experienced professionals."
   Supplying a small but powerful set of control structures and a
well developed run-time library may help VALGOL meet its goals.
VALGOL '83 implements a simple conditional ("if ... like ... I'm
sure ... ") and iteration construct ("for ... sure").  Output is
handled by a builtin function ("barfout( text )" ).
   The user interface has been similarly revamped, VALGOL flagging
errors with few messages that handle violations in a uniform way.
Examples are: "Like, gag me with a spoon!" (semantic pass failed),
"Bag your input!" (syntax error), "Euw, totally gross!" (error
recovery failure).
   A novel idea of VALGOL is success reporting.  "Novices often feel
punished by contemporary languages.  Novice, and especially young,
users need frequent rewards, and it is our belief that the language
system should supply them."  Syntactically valid statements
generate, for example, "Like, rad," or "That's ok, you know?".
Error free programs are deemed "Maximally awesome" by the compiler.
   Whether or not VALGOL meets its goals remains to be seen, but the
initial response to the language has been enthusiastic.  "Even total
airheads will be able to cool VALGOL," said one user.  Another gave
even stronger praise, saying "Most languages are a total turn-off,
you know, they're psoitively grody to the max, but VALGOL is, like,
super bitchen."
   CSUN will demonstrate VALGOL starting in April at the Sherman
Oaks Galleria in Los Angeles, California.