2017/06/02 by Brenton Chapin, Chapin, Brenton
Computer Science · #FOS: Computer and information sciences #Information Theory (cs.IT) #Logic, programming, and type systems #Model-Driven Software Engineering Techniques #Natural Language Processing Techniques #Programming Languages (cs.PL)
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1706.00862
openalex publication_date 2017/06/02 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
This paper attempts a more formal approach to the legibility of text based programming languages, presenting, with proof, minimum possible ways of representing structure in text interleaved with information. This presumes that a minimalist approach is best for purposes of human readability, data storage and transmission, and machine evaluation. Several proposals are given for improving the expression of interleaved hierarchical structure. For instance, a single colon can replace a pair of brackets, and bracket types do not need to be repeated in both opening and closing symbols or words. Historic and customary uses of punctuation symbols guided the chosen form and nature of the improvements.