From: Austin Ziegler <halostatue@...>
Date: 2005-12-31T13:19:37+09:00
Subject: Re: What is the difference between :foo and "foo" ?

On 30/12/05, Chad Perrin <perrin@apotheon.com> wrote:
> On Sat, Dec 31, 2005 at 11:50:27AM +0900, Austin Ziegler wrote:
> > Not really. I think James's description is pretty good, and agree that
> > it needs expansion. However, I don't think that the Ruby language
> > behaves in any particular way relating to Symbols or their use. I'm
> > not sure how to get it clearer than that. The Ruby language doesn't
> > really behave in a particular way with respect to Fixnums that impacts
> > most developers who *use* the language. The implementation has to deal
> > with them specially, and there are corner cases related to the current
> > implementation's use of 31 bits and the upsize and downsize between
> > BigDecimal, but that is, as I'm saying, an implementation issue and
> > not something I see as intrinsic to the language.
> Let me put it this way, then:  Why don't we remove symbols from the
> language?

Strictly speaking, I do not believe that there is a *need* for them in
the language as such. They are, after all, just immediate objects.
(Which, combined with a "native" constructor syntax, is perhaps the
only reason to make them part of the interpreter.) Aside from that,
however, if they didn't exist in the language, there would likely be
some similar concept created.

Ruby-the-language probably doesn't need them as much as
ruby-the-interpreter does. But they don't actually *do* anything
special within the language, so far as I can tell. I suggest you look
at it realistically, instead of wanting to make them into something
they aren't.

> Once you answer that, I'll take your phrasing and fit it into what I was
> saying, and this ridiculous back-and-forth wherein you refuse to
> communicate effectively with me can end.

I'm communicating. You're just not listening. Effective communication
requires a willing listener, and you seem to be uninterested in such.

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