From: Hal Fulton <hal9000@...>
Date: 2004-05-25T15:40:58+09:00
Subject: Re: [RCR] Numeric#of

Pe�a, Botp wrote:
> Joel VanderWerf [mailto:vjoel@PATH.Berkeley.EDU] commented:
> 
> 
>>>What if we allow Integer#* to take a block?
>>>
>>>a,b,c,d,e = 5 * { Array.new }
>>
>>Visually nice, but some would read that as "five times array 
>>dot new", 
>>which is a lot like the reading of
>>
>>   5.times { Array.new }
> 
> 
> 
> so maybe, we'd want rather
> 
> a,b,c,d,e = { Array.new } * 5
> 
> ?

Not IMO. I still like the other much better.

It seems clear that the result of x*y is "always" an expression;
I don't think we expect it to iterate as #times does.

Although I grant you, they're pronounced the same. If you ever
dictate your code to someone over the phone, it could be a
problem. :P


Hal