Subj : Re: Polymorphism sucks [Was: Paradigms which way to go?]
To   : comp.programming,comp.object
From : Chris Sonnack
Date : Thu Jun 30 2005 06:31 pm

topmind writes:

>>> [...tree snipped...]
>>>
>>> Most people would produce a fiarly similar hierarchy without even
>>> seeing this one.
>>
>> LOL!  You mean to say it is so naturally tree-shaped that most people
>> would naturally produce a tree?
> 
> I have agreed that *people* naturally relate to trees.

First, why do you think that is?

Second, *people* create programs.  Therefore, obviously, the tree must be
one of the natural models.

> Thus, they tend to produce algorithms that have a tree-shaped division
> of tasks. It is not that tasks are inherently are tree-shaped, it is
> that people are more comfortable using trees to describe them.

And why do you think that is if not because hierarchical structure is
both natural and *useful*.  (Things that are not useful do not tend to
survive that long.)

> However, on a larger scale algorithms are not pure trees because
> usually named tasks (subroutines) eventually come in to play as we
> scale up. Subroutines break the tree because they are cross-branch
> links.

First, as I've already pointed out, cross-branch links don't make a
tree not a tree.  They just make it not certain types of trees.

Second, you don't really algorithm, you mean program.  Algorithms
typically ARE very hierarchal ever since structured programming was
invented.  Smaller blocks within larger blocks, just about every
algorithm is structured that way.

> IOW, on a small scale or *informal* discussions (which is what the
> above is), trees are a decent useful lie. 

You can label them a "lie" if you like, but they appear to reflect the
truth of very many situations to me.

Clearly most of the human race would seem to agree, since you admit
that "most people would naturally produce a tree."

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