From: Jacob Fugal <lukfugl@...>
Date: 2006-02-28T04:03:01+09:00
Subject: Re: Ruby Whitespace Semantics

On 2/27/06, Mark Wilden <mark@mwilden.com> wrote:
> "Hal Fulton" <hal9000@hypermetrics.com> wrote:
> > Expressions in Ruby can be like standalone statements. Statements are
> > terminated with an optional semicolon or with a newline. If a statement
> > is incomplete, it is understood to go on to the next line; if it is
> > complete, it is just as if terminated with a semicolon.
> >
> > Therefore:
> >
> >   a = (4
> >        +5)
> >
> > is the same as
> >
> >   a = (4;
> >        +5)
>
> But (4 is clearly an incomplete statement.

Actually, notice the semicolon. What Hal is demonstrating is that a
parenthetical group can contain multiple expressions. The newline
terminates the expression '4', which is a complete expression, while
the statement (which happens to include that expression) is continued
on the next line.

Jacob Fugal