Tacit programming: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 23:48, 3 April 2024

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{{Short description|Programming paradigm}}

'''Tacit programming''', also called '''point-free style''', is a [[programming paradigm]] in which function definitions do not identify the [[parameter (computer science)|arguments]] (or "points") on which they operate. Instead the definitions merely [[function composition (computer science)|compose]] other functions, among which are [[Combinatory logic|combinators]] that manipulate the arguments. Tacit programming is of theoretical interest, because the strict use of composition results in programs that are well adapted for [[Equational logic|equational]] reasoning.<ref name="cunha2005">Manuel Alcino Pereira da Cunha (2005) [http://hdl.handle.net/1822/2869 Point-free Program Calculation]</ref> It is also the natural style of certain [[programming languages]], including [[APL (programming language)|APL]] and its derivatives,<ref>W. Neville Holmes, ed. (2006) ''Computers and People''</ref> and [[concatenative programming language|concatenative languages]] such as [[Forth (programming language)|Forth]]. The lack of argument naming gives point-free style a reputation of being unnecessarily obscure, hence the [[epithet]] "pointless style".<ref name="cunha2005"/>

[[Unix]] [[Command-line interface|scripting]] uses the paradigm with [[Pipeline (Unix)|pipes]].