Revision [138]
Last edited on 2008-05-17 13:29:55 by LarryGilbert ["toy language" appeared in ESR's Jargon File]Additions:
The definition for "toy language" appeared in editions of Eric S. Raymond's //Jargon File// as early as version 3.0.0: "A language useful for instructional purposes or as a proof-of-concept for some aspect of computer-science theory, but inadequate for general-purpose programming." Any earlier usages have yet to be researched by me.
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Revision [137]
Edited on 2008-05-17 12:58:48 by LarryGilbert [change c2.com link to InterWiki format]Additions:
Despite having such maddening constraints, a toy language will usually be "Turing-complete," which in simple terms means that it //is// capable of solving any problem that is computationally possible. ([[Wiki:TuringComplete See c2.com for a better definition and discussion of Turing completeness.]]) Thus the toy language poses an implicit challenge to the programmer: creating a program in the language that works within its artificial constraints yet can still solve practical problems.
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Revision [135]
Edited on 2008-05-17 12:38:35 by LarryGilbert ["...better definition //and discussion// of Turing completeness."]Additions:
Despite having such maddening constraints, a toy language will usually be "Turing-complete," which in simple terms means that it //is// capable of solving any problem that is computationally possible. ([[http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?TuringComplete See c2.com for a better definition and discussion of Turing completeness.]]) Thus the toy language poses an implicit challenge to the programmer: creating a program in the language that works within its artificial constraints yet can still solve practical problems.
