From: Mike Austin <no@...>
Date: 2005-08-07T10:41:10+09:00
Subject: Re: new block notation (was: Re: ruby-dev summary 26468-26661)

gabriele renzi wrote:
> Florian Gro� ha scritto:
> 
>>
>> def might not totally fit (it doesn't bind anything to a name), but it 
>> might still be the best choice if no new semi-keywords should be 
>> introduced. There's also undef, of course, but that is a more evil 
>> choice. :)
> 
> 
> maybe with should go the Oz route, which provide a 
> make-named-thing-unnamed special symbol (but I think the real concept is 
> "make a statement an expression)
> i.e.
> 
> def foo(x,y) #defines a method foo
> end
> 
> foo= def $(x,y) .. end #defines an unnamed method and assigns to foo
> 
> but again, creeping punctuation.
> I'm on the 'fun' side :)

If def returned the actual function, the 'anonymous' functionality would
fit right in.  Refactoring, we have:

f = def foo(x,y)        # 1
end

f = def (x,y)	        # 2
end

f = def(x,y) {}	        # 3


Mike