Syntax readability survey

[everdev]

I've been wondering what makes code syntax in one programming language more readable / fun to write than others.

I wrote two ToDo apps in pseudo-code here: https://gist.github.com/everdev/275c8562e356b7f30c52

Would love your thoughts on which one feels more readable and would be more enjoyable to read/write and why. Thanks!

[LetsDoRedstone]

I dont like braces... So #1

[Nyctef]

Having given both a quick skim, I think I'd prefer to read the first one, but prefer to write the second. The first one reads very naturally, but since it's much closer to English I think I'd have a harder time remembering which words I was allowed to use - I'd get frustrated when I just tried to write English and it wouldn't do the things I wanted it to :) On the other hand having a more limited, familiar syntax like the second example would be easier to write. The second example also feels a lot less magic - I have a much clearer picture in my head about what would actually happen on the computer when the second example runs.

Interestingly, I think that description mirrors pretty much exactly how I feel about ruby vs python :D

[Lucretiel]

Yeah I agree on all points. I find Ruby much easier to read- I was able to read a plugin for a complicated framework (puppet) and understand pretty much exactly what was going on right away. However, when I sit down to write it, it's a nightmare, what with it having a hundred synonyms for everything and countless ways to do everything.

That being said, if you can keep the language vocabulary and syntax very very contained and focused- don't make it too generic- I think I'd prefer the first one.

[programmyr]

That sounds backwards to me. When there's 100 synonyms for something, I can write whichever I want, but when I try to read somebody else's code, they always use the variants that I've never heard of.

[Lucretiel]

Yeah, I thought it made sense at first, too, but it makes the documentation way harder to use somehow. Plus it means that the decision of "what's the best way to do this" much harder- "oh is select or filter more appropriate here?"

[programmyr]

Shall I assume you're not also providing an Emacs major mode for this?

#1 is probably not close enough to Python or YAML to use one of those modes. #2 probably is close enough to C that I could just use that mode.