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Re: Language design values (Re: message primitive)
Telford Tendys <telford@eng.uts.edu.au> writes:
> Orthogonality is already defined in mathematics as stating that the
> dot product of two vectors is zero. I hate to see the word applied in
> a hazy way to computer languages since no one can give it a solid
> definition. If you are suggesting that any given computer behaviour
> should only be achievable by exactly one program (or none at all)
> then that seems like an impossible thing, and not even desirable.
I have never seen "orthogonality" to mean that. Normally, it means
that two (or more) different features when used together make sense,
combine in positive ways, and the specification doesn't have strange
exceptions to deal with the combination.
--
--Per Bothner
per@bothner.com http://www.bothner.com/~per/