Comments by "TheEvertw" (@TheEvertw) on "Computerphile" channel.

  1. I believe that the invention of the "little languages" is the most fundamental contribution of UNIX to Computing. The concept (now called Domain Specific Languages, DSL) is one area of computing where I expect a LOT of development. Because once a "little language" has been implemented, it makes life a LOT easier for domain specialists who otherwise need to spend far too much time writing programs in generic programming languages. In a modern system, the combination of a graphical front-end, a DSL as an intermediate stage, and various back-end programs that consume the DSL, is an extremely powerful combination. Far superior to having it all in a single monolithic program.
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  2. I remember the first time I saw a computer print out a non-built-in character. I was awe struck. I must have been either 19 or 20. The printer was a dot-matrix printer that turned out to have a "graphical" mode where you could print bitmaps. I did play with it a little trying to output PCB etching masks, but soon gave up and went back to hand-drawing them. I greatly admire the perseverance of these people!
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  3. "It's done better than that" The only reason that book is not in my personal library is that it was ubiquitous at the various workplaces I have been. Not only is it an excellent reference for the language itself, it also contains great advice on designing a program.
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