Cyclops: a programming language written in undeciphered Greek runes

[J_Darnley]

Wow. The Greeks did well to invent runes that hold six numbers in a tiny square box. I can't imagine the precision hammers and chisels they would need for that.

[jcadam]

C'mon, I was eating when I read that and nearly choked.

[roywiggins]

Note that they're Arabic numerals, which suggests actual alien intervention...

[riffraff]

to nitpick, I believe those used in Linear A are not technically "runes", i.e. the runes are only the ones used in writing systems for german languages, and derived from old italic alphabets.

[bmm6o]

To be fair, I don't see the word "rune" anywhere on the linked page. I'm assuming it's an error created by the submitter.

[xiaq]

Could it have been popularized by golang's use of "rune" as a synonym of Unicode codepoint (which is inherited from Plan 9)?

[protomyth]

If this is how things are going to go, I guess I should break out the APL keyboard and get going.

[0xdeadbeefbabe]

This? http://www.dyalog.com/uploads/images/Business/products/us_rc...

Looks like they didn't have the right unicode font for L

[rbanffy]

This requires a lot more typing than APL. OTOH, code seems less write-only.

[njharman]

Until someone makes a to javascript transpiler for it, I'm just not interested. :)

[0xdeadbeefbabe]

This seems like the next logical step, really.

[Toenex]

I can't see it really taking off until it has at least half a dozen web frameworks and a decent befunge binding layer.

[ommunist]

This one needs an appropriate virtual keyboard. Or better physical too. With stone keys.

[luckystarr]

I really like the equality symbol! I guess it's nice when the symbols have symbolism.

[igravious]

So. A bit of semiotics by C.S. Peirce.

Peirce reckoned that there are three basic signs: icons, indices (indexes?), and symbols. An icon looks like the thing it is representing. An index points to it (like your index finger does, this is called indexicality). A symbol stands in for and is unlike the thing it represents, like 4 for |||| things.

So because equality is represented with a scales you _should_ have said, "I guess it's nice when the signs have iconicity." :)

[roywiggins]

How does it compare to emojicode?

[riebschlager]

I hate to sound alarmist, but I'm seriously worried that we're reaching "peak novelty programming language". If we don't start exploring alternative uses of free time now, we're going to be in serious trouble soon.

[evincarofautumn]

It bothers me more that they all tend to be reskins of conventional imperative languages. It’s fun when it’s a joke, but a lot of non-joke languages are built the same way. We don’t need new syntax for the same semantics—we need new semantics.

[dgabriel]

Toy languages are fun, and nothing new. Making your own language is a great exercise.

[roywiggins]

I thought we hit it back during LOLCODE.

[stuxnet79]

Seriously ... it is stuff like this that makes me not want to check HN much these days.

[sbonilla]

It's stupid