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John Carmack on mutable variables

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498 points azhenley | 1 comments | 31 Oct 25 02:34 UTC | HN request time: 0.249s | source
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anymouse123456 ◴[31 Oct 25 13:50 UTC] No.45771965[source]▶
I completely agree with the assertion and the benefits that ensue, but my attention is always snagged by the nomenclature.

I know there are alternate names available to us, but even in the context of this very conversation (and headline), the thing is being called a "variable."

What is a "variable" if not something that varies?

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1. Warwolt ◴[31 Oct 25 16:44 UTC] No.45774039[source]▶
It's a variable simply because it doesn't refer to a specific object, but any object assigned to it as either function argument or by result of a computation.

It's in fact us programmers who are the odd ones out compared to how the word variable has been used by mathematics and logicians for a long time