Re: succinctness = power

[Shriram Krishnamurthi <address@hidden>]

Neel Krishnaswami wrote:

> The spreadsheets is probably the weakest languages model in wide
> use. The classic Visicalc spreadsheet (still recognizable in Excel)
> doesn't even have control structures. Instead of loops and tests it
> has columns of values and formulas, and yet spreadsheets are probably
> the most popular languages design of the last 25 years. 

Neel, I'm surprised you don't point out that your message contains its 
own refutation.  What are rows, columns and tables but data
structures?  What spreadsheets did do is make loops of procedures that 
process them implicit (+'ing a range does it automatically).  *That*
was the real insight.

Spreadsheets are probably the most widely used functional language.
More people apply APPLY than ever realize it.

Shriram