Hello,

For those who look at Java = and C# all day, this would not be any harder then any other part on the = language. It is though the unification that would be a bigger reason. As was = mentioned, if you had:

meth -< a { a + 1}, -< b { b = * 2 }

meth oO a { a + 1}, oO b { b * 2 = }

meth (\ a { a + 1}, (\ b { b * 2 } = # if it was possible

It would still have the same noise = and add to the same level of clutter of choices. Besides the yellow-colored = items’ low contrast, I read it all fast on both lines (reading colors in hard, = try it). Good day.

Yemi Bedu

P&R Fasteners
325 Pierce = St
Somerset, = NJ 08873
732-302-3600 =

From: = Meinrad Recheis [mailto:meinrad.recheis@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, May 26, = 2008 10:49 AM
To: = ruby-core@ruby-lang.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH] = lambda with normal block syntax

On Mon, May = 26, 2008 at 4:14 PM, Dave Thomas <dave@pragprog.com> wrote:
>
> On May 26, 2008, at 8:54 AM, Yukihiro Matsumoto wrote:
>
>> "trouble with recognition"? I thought they = hated the -> mark, mostly
>> because it's different from lambda symbols (and syntax) in = other
>> languages (except for Perl6). I assumed those hatred will decrease
>> once they used to the new syntax. But I didn't recognized = they had
>> recognition problem.
>
> My personal experience is that I don't find it a natural notation: = when I
> see ->, I don't immediately think 'block coming'. Instead, I = think
> 'pointer', 'member access', or something similar. So, for me, it = really is a
> 'cognition' issue (so I guess the second time it's = recognition).
>
> You asked people to try the patched syntax that allows
>
> meth {|a| a+1}, {|b| b*2}
>
> I think that this particular syntax is a lot less obtrusive, and a = lot
> easier to recognize, than
>
> meth -> a { a + 1}, -> b { b * 2 }
>
> The first one is obviously a couple of blocks: that's what I read = when I see
> {|a| ...}.

I second this. also, from the standpoint of cognition it must be said = that -> will allways be recognized by most people as a binary operator where something is pointing or assigned to something. There is = a good example that illustrates why such a cognitive misconception is most = disturbing: (non plain text mail reader required to see the colors)

try to read and pronounce these words as fast es possible:

black blue green orange yellow purple red black
orange = green = black = blue = purple yellow = black = red

you will notice that the upper line can be read = much faster than the lower line because of the mismatch of color perception = and meaning of the words in the lower line.

so even if we all get used to the syntax the mismatch of the meaning of = -> (lambda) and the general recognition (pointer/assignment) will always be disturbing for fast perceiving of ruby code.

>
> Please, please consider adding both these patches into 1.9.
>
bike shed or not, please seriously consider it.
-- henon