From: David Vallner <david@...>
Date: 2006-08-18T18:51:33+09:00
Subject: Re: Syntax checker wtf?

On Fri, 18 Aug 2006 09:58:31 +0200, Firstname Surname  
<rubyforum@wendlink.com> wrote:
> the checker could easily check
> based on 'standard' expected syntax and be more helpful about error
> location 99% of the time.

That's what a lint style program would do, not the compiler. Compilers are  
there to check correctness against the formal language definition, not to  
make opinions about your code, and quoting James Britt: Ruby assumes the  
developer is a grown-up. If you're newbly enough to make trivial syntax  
errors, noone's forcing you to use the language.

If you think the syntax checking in the compiler could be made better, go  
ahead and hack the parser to do it. But I don't recall this topic being  
present on the list and complained about any often or so vocally, so I  
doubt it's critical that effort be spent from the core Ruby developer team  
in that direction.

Oh, before I forget: Whining gets you nowhere, and trolling belongs to  
slashdot. Cut that out.

David Vallner