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I'm developing a custom programming language and I want to say that it helps people write programs that are not error prone. Even better, it helps people write programs resistant to errors, so programmers could be more sure that errors will not occur than in other languages.

How can I describe the programs that can be written in this language?

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    I think you shouldn't lie to your customers and users.
    – Euphoric
    Commented Apr 9, 2013 at 10:51
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    I know that, why do you think I'm lying? Did I write anything wrong?
    – danilo2
    Commented Apr 9, 2013 at 10:53
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    robust The harder it is to create an error of any type or form that the computer cannot handle safely the more robust the software is. I guess that's the word you are looking for?
    – Esailija
    Commented Apr 9, 2013 at 11:07
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    You used the word "easier" twice, it's not because something is easier to use that it's less error prone. If you really mean "easier", than just document it as "easier". Besides I would leave the documentation to someone who actually is good at English, and also understands programming, or no one will use your language.
    – Mario De Schaepmeester
    Commented Apr 9, 2013 at 11:07
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    >easier threading (no deadlocks) There is no way to design paralelism with no deadlocks. If I was user, I would demand mathematical proof of your claims.
    – Euphoric
    Commented Apr 9, 2013 at 11:07

3 Answers 3

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How about... Your language helps write robust and fault-tolerant software.

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    Why the downvote? This is the right answer, if a bit brief.
    – Andres F.
    Commented Apr 9, 2013 at 12:47
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    Fault-tolerance isn't the same thing. That implies that there can be errors, but they won't have nasty consequences. I take "not error prone" to mean that there are fewer opportunities to make errors in the first place, perhaps because the syntax is cleaner or because errors are caught early. But it would help if we knew just what the basis for error resistance actually is. (I wasn't the one who downvoted.)
    – gmcgath
    Commented Apr 9, 2013 at 14:37
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You can say

The X programing language will help developers write fewer error prone programs.

The X programing language will help programmers write less-error-prone software.

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    Instead of writing one incorrect example with / marks (in which less agrees with software, but not with programs, where it should be fewer) just write out your several forms individually. Commented Apr 9, 2013 at 15:44
  • I’ve corrected my examples. I’ve used the “/” as I wasn’t sure how you were supposed to give multiple examples. This downvoting business is very demoralizing for new users like me who isn’t sure how to work the system yet. Anyway thanks for the advice. Commented Apr 9, 2013 at 16:14
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    I removed my downvote after your edit, but I still contend that it should read “fewer error prone programs” rather than “less error prone programs”. Regarding multiple examples, there are no firm rules that apply; but when clarity is easily improved by splitting an example with slashed alternatives into separate examples, doing so is a good idea. Commented Apr 9, 2013 at 16:21
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    EL, I'd say “fewer programs” and “less software” (See "Less" vs. "fewer", particularly the answers that are not nohat's :) However, it is a mistake to have less or fewer modifying software or programs; ie, say "less-error-prone" and you can put that hyphenated phrase in front of either software or programs. The intended claim (true or not) is that the language reduces frequency of error, not that it reduces the total number of programs or amount of software. Commented Apr 9, 2013 at 18:01
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    I'm not sure I care for this wording at all. ELL helps me write fewer programs - because I'm spending time on ELL, instead of spending more time programming! I'd be more inclined to go with "The X programming language will help developers write programs with fewer errors," which is what we really want to convey.
    – J.R.
    Commented Apr 9, 2013 at 23:37
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The word "forgiving" is one of the most used for this context. It's slightly informal, but could easily be used in more formal situations if, for example, you were listing qualities about the programming language or writing a short paragraph about it. "Forgiving" (in the context of programming or user input) means something is more accepting of small errors made by the user, and more friendly to users with less experience.

"Robust" is a more formal word, and can be issued as a general statement about something, but is typically reserved for cases where something has multiple qualities that can be described this way, and that can stand up to the rigors of testing.

Examples:

  • "It's a very forgiving programming language."

  • "The software is very forgiving to coding errors."

  • "The software is very forgiving to the user."

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