From: Markus <markus@...>
Date: 2004-10-09T04:17:49+09:00
Subject: Re: ANN: Free-form-operators patch

On Fri, 2004-10-08 at 11:54, Hal Fulton wrote:
> gabriele renzi wrote:
> > Markus ha scritto:
> > 
> >> All --
> >>
> >>      This time instead of a long description I will give to you a long
> >> URL:
> >>
> >> http://www.reality.com/roberts/markus/software/ruby/free_form_operators/
> >>
> >> Free form operators for ruby patch.  Define your own --> and =~~ as you
> >> see fit.  Impress your friends.  Confound your enemies.  And it really
> >> really works.
> > 
> > 
> > I like the idea of free form operators and actually I'd like even prefix 
> > freeform ops, if this patch allow them :)
> > 
> 
> It is cool and interesting from a theoretical standpoint, but it causes me
> to coin the term "syntax diabetes" (if someone hasn't already).

     Ok, I'll bite.  Why?  Some details:

      * If you don't use it, it should have no effect (not true with
        today's version, which has two known bugs at this moment, but
        that's the goal).
      * It makes the parser about 150 lines shorter
      * It does not effect compile times
      * It might make it possible to move some features out of the core
        language and into libraries (if it were proposed and accepted as
        something more than an experimental hack).
      * It (with some of the other ideas that have been floated) would
        reduce the pressure to add new features, and allow them to be
        "community tested" before being added, by letting people
        prototype their ideas without being relegated to a syntactic
        ghetto.

In what sense is this "diabetes"?  I would take that to mean intolerance
for syntactic sugar (it sends you into a coma or something).  Or am I
missing your point?

-- Markus