Re: [stack] Why is point-free form so interesting?

Christopher Diggins <[email protected]> wrote:
> John Carter <[email protected]> wrote:
> > Is there a representation of a program where the mechanism of moving
> > parameters to values in expressions is...
> > * Explicit (ie. Can be reasoned about / transparent on inlining)

> I like this a lot. This does a good job of summing up what I like
> about point-free form very elegantly. One point though, is "explicit"
> the correct term? I would normally consider argument passing in a
> stack-language to be implicit, rather than explicit. However I agree
> that it is obvious and unambiguous.

Actually, I think John made a mistake in another word: the mechanism
for moving _values_ from source to consumption is explicit. You're not
moving "parameters", nor are they being moved to "values". But yes,
the mechanism is explicit.

And also, yes, you're right that parameter passing is (in some sense) implicit.

> - order of evaluation is simple and unambiguous: left to right (no
> precedence rules)
> - subterms can be evaluated concurrently

Aren't these contradictory?

> Christopher

-Billy