From: Austin Ziegler <halostatue@...>
Date: 2005-08-04T12:58:22+09:00
Subject: Re: Yet Another useless Ruby 2 Idea

On 8/3/05, Daniel Brockman <daniel@brockman.se> wrote:
> Jeff Wood <jeff.darklight@gmail.com> writes:
>> If you want python syntax, use python
> Yeah, and if you want regular expressions, use Perl. Last time I
> checked, Guido did not have any patents on layout-based syntax.
> 
> I'm sorry, but I'm so tired of the categorical ``if you want
> feature X, use language Y'' arguments.
> 
> Ruby has stolen tons of ideas from all over the place, and that
> has served us well. Why stop now?

No one is suggesting to stop now. Layout-based syntax, however, is a
stupid idea that should have died with punch cards.

Yes, I hate Python's syntactically significant whitespace. There's
other things (maybe) that Ruby can learn from Python, but this isn't
one of them.

In general, I agree with you -- we shouldn't by and large say "if
you want X, use Y". But we should also discourage the importation of
the worst features of other languages.

-austin
-- 
Austin Ziegler * halostatue@gmail.com
               * Alternate: austin@halostatue.ca