10 Most Curious Programming Languages


#9 Chef

Designer: David Morgan-Mar

Chef is an interesting programming language which got released in 2002. The program looks like cooking recipes with variables named after the ingredients. The stacks are called “mixing bowls” or “baking dishes” and the instructions like “mix” and “stir” are required to carry out the functions. The main principle of language design is: program recipes should not only generate valid output, but be easy to prepare and delicious. For instance, the instructions look like:

Take *ingredient* from refrigerator. — read an integer from standard input and store it into the given variable.

Put *ingredient* into [nth] mixing bowl. — push the value of the variable on the top of the bowl.

#8 Shakespeare

This programming language was designed by Jon Aslund and Karl Hasselstrom as a part of their lab project. Like the Chef programming language, Shakespeare Programming Language(SPL) is designed to make programs appear to be something other than programs; in this case, Shakespearean plays. The language has title, characters, acts and scenes, enter and exit. Characters are named like "Romeo" and "Juliet", which enter into dialogue with each other for performing functions. The programs are easily understood as it is written in the form of a drama.