From: Jamey Cribbs <cribbsj@...>
Date: 2005-09-24T00:31:23+09:00
Subject: Why is this not a syntax error?

Switching back and forth between Python and Ruby bit me in the butt 
today.  For example, consider the following Ruby code:

   a = 1

   if a == 0
       puts 'zero'
   elif a == 1
       puts 'one'
   else
       puts 'not one'
   end


The code in error is the "elif" statement.  "elif" is python's else-if 
statement, as opposed to Ruby's elsif statement.

Now, I would expect the above Ruby code to generate a syntax error 
stating that "elif" is bad.  However, when I run the above code, instead 
of a syntax error, the code executes and returns "not one", so it is not 
erroring out on the "elif" and it is just falling through to the else 
statement.

Why is this not a syntax error?

I googled for "Ruby elif" but did not find anything relevant.

Jamey Cribbs

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