From: Christophe Grandsire <christophe.grandsire@...>
Date: 2005-11-02T22:02:05+09:00
Subject: Re: ruby-dev summary 27393-27541

Selon Minero Aoki <aamine@loveruby.net>:

>
>   There are still many arguments, for example:
>
>     * whether "using" effects statically or dynamically
>     * '$' is ugly
>     * scope of "using" (file level / module level / method level)
>     * whether spaces are allowed around '$'
>

For the "'$' is ugly" argument, what about a syntax putting the namespace
*after* the method name, and with an '@' in between (i.e. chop@jcode here)? It
fits quite well with the "at" meaning that '@' has taken from things like
e-mail And namespaces are different enough from classes and modules that I
don't see why they should be put in front of method calls like those. And
reading it becomes quite easy and fitting:

class String
  def chop@jcode # "define chop at jcode"
  ...
  end
end

I'd think spaces should be disallowed around the '@' in that case, but it's just
an aesthetic opinion.

Also, how one would access the "namespaced" method using something like send,
without using "using" first? I mean, "send(jcode$:chop)" just looks wrong, and
"send(:jcode$chop)" doesn't look right either. Using my syntax,
"send(:chop@jcode)" is a bit nicer (at least ":chop" stays together without
clashes of symbols), but I'm still not sure I like it myself. Maybe a "send"
with an optional second parameter for the namespace...

By the way, are namespaces in their own namespace? (pardon the repetition)

Anyway, just my two cents about this interesting feature.

>
> [ruby-dev:27470] def Foo::Bar.baz
>
>   Shyouhei URABE claimed that "def Foo::Bar.baz" should be valid:
>
>     ~ % ruby -ce 'def Foo::Bar.baz() end'
>     -e:1: syntax error, unexpected '.', expecting ';' or '\n'
>     def Foo::Bar.baz() end
>                  ^
>     -e:1: syntax error, unexpected kEND, expecting $end
>
>   Matz rejected this claim because we cannot add this syntax without
>   any (yacc's) conflict.
>

First the block default arguments, now this... It's indeed time to get rid of
yacc or patch it... Don't look at me! I can't do C :(( ...
--
Christophe Grandsire.

http://rainbow.conlang.free.fr

It takes a straight mind to create a twisted conlang.