FYI: The Unix philosophy

[VirginSnow at vfemail.net]

> From: kevin_d_clark at comcast.net (Kevin D. Clark)
> Date: 09 Mar 2009 12:29:19 -0400

> > I think the need for AWK/Sed crib sheets argues that the tools we've
> > traditionally used for piping text might benefit from some fresh
> > insights.
> 
> I use crib sheets for various things, actually.  My tiny little brain
> can only remember so many things; hence my notes.  I use
> sh/sed/awk/patch/Perl quite a bit because they help me get my job
> done.

Reliance on crib sheets can be mitigated by practice.  Using a
language on a regular basis certainly makes remembering it easier.

Of course, there's also the question of how MANY DSLs (domain-specific
languages) you have to learn, and how easy to learn each language is.
Prolog (somebody used that example) has a syntax wich is VERY easy to
learn, but writing useful programs in Prolog requires A LOT of
practice.  By contrast, bash scripts can be written quite easily, but
their syntax is quite complex and can take years to master.

How many people, for example, are fluent in dc (the language used by
the command line reverse polish arbitrary precision desk calculator)?
So many languages... so little time.