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Re:Bare minimum atw-style K interpreter for learning purposes by gipp on Wednesday January 17, 2024 @02:31PM (#39032274)
You know how when you first start learning to code, the kids who really "get it" right away start off thinking shorter code = smarter code = better code?

k always seemed like a bunch of those kids managed to become highly accomplished and brilliant engineers without ever breaking that terrible habit. Is there actually a reason to write these array languages (and interpreters for them, apparently) this way, or is it just a cultural difference?

Re:Bare minimum atw-style K interpreter for learning purposes by steveBK123 on Wednesday January 17, 2024 @02:48PM (#39032493)
less code less bug
Re:Bare minimum atw-style K interpreter for learning purposes by tom_ on Wednesday January 17, 2024 @05:37PM (#39034572)
An occasional HN poster did a presentation a few years ago about his compiler, written in a similar sort of style: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13638086
Re:Bare minimum atw-style K interpreter for learning purposes by lmm on Wednesday January 17, 2024 @09:00PM (#39036559)
> k always seemed like a bunch of those kids managed to become highly accomplished and brilliant engineers without ever breaking that terrible habit. Is there actually a reason to write these array languages (and interpreters for them, apparently) this way, or is it just a cultural difference?

They're more readable and less buggy that way. But unfortunately most programmers would rather spend 10 days reading 100,000 lines than 4 days reading 1,000 lines.