Glossary

Filter:
# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z All
C
C*
C1
C2
C3
C3I
C4
CA
Can
Cat
CBA
CBC
CCB
CCI
CCO
CDR
CDS
CF
CFD
CFE
CI
CIA
CIK
CIP
CK
CKG
CKL
CM
CMP
CMS
CN
CNK
COR
CPC
Cpi
CPS
CPU
CRB
CRC
CRO
CRP
CSA
CSC
CSE
CSM
CSO
CSS
CTY
CUP
CVA
CWC
Candygrammar*
  • n. A programming-language grammar that is mostly syntactic sugar; the term is also a play on `candygram'. COBOL, Apple's Hypertalk language, and a lot of the so-called `4GL' database languages share this property. The usual intent of such designs is that they be as English-like as possible, on the theory that they will then be easier for unskilled people to program. This intention comes to grief on the reality that syntax isn't what makes programming hard; it's the mental effort and organization required to specify an algorithm precisely that costs. Thus the invariable result is that `candygrammar' languages are just as difficult to program in as terser ones, and far more painful for the experienced hacker.