Re: Why emacs have not native language menu

[Alexey Pustyntsev]

Jean-Christophe Helary <fusion@mx6.tiki.ne.jp> writes:

> No they don't. Code is just arbitrary strings that mean only what the
> manual (in whatever language it is written) says they mean.

I don't think I agree. They need to understand the code, needn't they?

>
> Confusing code (that looks like English words) and English is the
> biggest mistake people make when learning computer languages. And it
> seems like some members of this list have yet to make the difference
> between emacs "function-name" that looks like English and plain
> English.

People created programming languages using a language spoken by human
beings. I think, you see why. Historically, programming languages
were based on English, which, in my opinion, is a good choice. 

> Very good. You know enough English to find your way in emacs. Reverse
> question: is emacs the reason why you learned English ? Is emacs the
> only activity that involves your using English ? Is programming so ?

As a programmer I need English to work with information. I can hardly
imagine my job without the use of English. In most cases, it's just
safer to read an article/book in English than, as it's been correctly
noted, be fooled by a bad translation that is (frequently) done by
non-programmers.     

>
> Can you imagine contexts where emacs can be used in a linguistically
> "neutral" environment ?
>
> Can you imagine that using emacs in this linguistically "neutral"
> environment would benefit from actual native linguistic information ?
>
> If you can't imagine that then you are right: you should focus on
> other issues.

I think creation of a "neutral environment" is a waste of time
as we all can use the environment that's already been created. That
is why I focus on other issues. You are right. 

>
>
> Jean-Christophe Helary
>
> ps: did it ever occur to you that some massively succesful
> programming languages originated from non-English cultural/linguistic
> environments ?

That may suggest that English as a basis for a programming language is
probably a better choice. 

-- 
Rgds
Alexey

Today is Sweetmorn, the 60th day of Confusion in the YOLD 3173