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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Ages and ages ago I saw this advice
about programming:<br>
<br>
Q: "What's the best language for a programmer to know?"<br>
<br>
A: "English" (or whatever your native language is)<br>
<br>
-- Dudley<br>
<br>
On 2/24/16 4:03 PM, Dennis Raddle wrote:<br>
<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:CAKxLvooEkK+_qrKcawgNWuRvNKKpEyCFJWCXAxdDDFitVqW+Vg@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<div dir="ltr">This is more about programming in general than
Haskell, although Haskellers probably know it well.
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I don't claim to have expert knowledge on this, but I'm
gradually getting better at it.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>When I set out to write a program, or refactor a program,
or modify a program, it helps to set out my thinking in a
clear way. And how I make it clear is to document my thoughts.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>An outline is one good way to organize thoughts and is
probably my main tool. But good English prose is also
helpful. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>The key factor is "editing." In what sense do I mean that?
Good writers do it, and the Haskell documentation does it. I
mean (1) brevity and (2) good flow. To achieve brevity, you
must think about the essence of each statement and trim away
the unnecessary stuff. Good flow refers to how the document
builds up and modifies your concepts as you read it. A
document can actually mirror an effective learning process, or
influence and change your process.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I work with my documentation, making several editing
passes. By the time I'm done, I am in a great position to
write a concise and flexible program.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>It's interesting that not only is Haskell a concise
language, but the Haskell library documentation is concise.
Contrast that with the Python documentation which often
wanders about into areas that are irrelevant--it could easily
be cut into one third its present size.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Mike</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
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