Re: Inconsistencies in our approach
On Mon, 11 Aug 2003, MJ Ray wrote:
>> Software "is a set of statements" primarily intended to
>> perform some operations on the some set of input information "in
>> order to bring about a certain result" with this information.
>> Regardless of the way it does so.
>>
>> Data "is a set of statements" primarily intended to describe
>> itself (as such) to a reader, be latter the human or the program.
>> Regardless of the way it does so.
MR>I believe these are not exclusive or exhaustive, but it all
MR>hinges on your decisions on "primarily" which is highly
MR>subjective. Is a dual-purpose item primarily intended for one
MR>thing or another?
As I say elsewere, I do not believe that stuff has any
importance, because it purely speculative. Hard to not see the
difference between the software tool, which needs input to bring
some useful result and self-sufficient data.
But let it be:
-----------
If the package gets extra input information as a part of using it
_and_ a result substantially[*] varies, depending this input
information _and_ these variations at least partially controlled by
statements in package[**] - package is a software.
[*] substantially depends - depends hard enough for at least some
sane users to worry about.
[**] Not solely by "interpreter" program.
------------
MR>> Data primarily intended to describe itself to human reader
MR>> is a documentation.
MR>Itself?
Sorry, I do not completely understand your question.
You worry about recursive definition? OK, lets say "describe
some fixed portion of information contained in it".
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