17 Jun
2011
17 Jun
'11
2:57 p.m.
From: feedle at feedle.net
On Jun 17, 2011, at 6:25 AM, Liam Proven wrote:
Hi
I always find it interesting that people mention unpacking an equation
as one of the reasons they don't like RPN. It is funny because that same
unpacking is exactly what is needed to solve the equation.
When building complex operations that require specific sequencing I always
find that RPN thinking makes sense. It is just telling the computer,
"Do this, then this and then this". No ambiguity and no interpretation just
do what I told you to do. Any interactions are fully understood because
the computer is not allowed to change any of the orders.
In equations, we put () in place to indicate order in programs, we are
supposed to describe things in the order we expect them handled.
It is a mixed and confusing system.
Dwight
Personally, at a wet-behind-the-ears 43y old,
I've never used an RPN
calculator, but I know that I don't really understand RPN and trying
to unpack equations and rewrite them in RPN was extremely hard work
for me...
By comparison, I find RPN inherently makes sense.
Then I learned Forth as my first programming language in 1979 when I was a child. What
that says about me I'm not sure, but you can take from it what you will.