[m-dev.] for review: changes to the tutorial

[Fergus Henderson]

On 15-Jul-1999, Ralph Becket <rwab1 at cam.sri.com> wrote:
> Hi David,
> >  calculate with numbers.  MERCURY is unusual in that you actually have
> >  to import the module that defines the basic integer operations,
> > -whereas in most languages they are built in.  There are good reasons
> > +whereas in most languages they are built in.  
> > +Although the integer type is built in, but the basic operations 
> > +that act upon them (eg. TT(+), TT(-)) are not.
> > +There are good reasons
> >  for this, but this tutorial is probably not the place to discuss them.
> >  So just trust us.
> 
> How about changing the text to the following:
> 
>   calculate with numbers.  MERCURY is unusual in that, whereas the
>   TT(int) type is built in, you actually have
>   to import the module that defines the basic integer operations,
> 
> I think it reads better.

Hmm... in some ways I liked David's version better.
How about the following:

 calculate with numbers.  MERCURY is unusual in that you actually have
 to import the module that defines the basic integer operations,
 whereas in most languages they are built in.  
 (Actually the `int' type itself and the integer literals [e.g. 1, 2, 3, ...]
 are built in, since there is special syntax for them, but the basic operations 
 that act upon them (eg. TT(+), TT(-)) are not.)

-- 
Fergus Henderson <fjh at cs.mu.oz.au>  |  "I have always known that the pursuit
WWW: <http://www.cs.mu.oz.au/~fjh>  |  of excellence is a lethal habit"
PGP: finger fjh at 128.250.37.3        |     -- the last words of T. S. Garp.
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