Roadmaps versus Roadsigns: Which is the Better Metalanguage?

Abstract

Metalanguages are often used in programming reference manuals to describe the syntactic features of programming languages. This experiment tested two metalanguages, the IBM conventional syntax notation which uses brackets and braces, and syntax diagrams that are similar to that used in Pascal language manuals which are sometimes referred to as railroad tracks. A two-day experimental design was used in which the subjects were trained and tested on one language the first day, and then trained and tested on the second language the next day in a counterbalanced design. Four phases of this experiment were conducted, with 12 subjects in each phase. The experimental procedure remained the same in each phase, but the subject population (programmers or nonprogrammers) or training material (full manual or one-page instruction) was changed from one phase to the next. No performance differences were found between the two metalanguages when the subjects were given extensive training. However, when training was restricted to one page of instruction, performance was consistently superior with the Pascal method.