From: Hal Fulton <hal9000@...>
Date: 2006-08-25T08:25:59+09:00
Subject: Re: do not understand this closure

rak rok wrote:
>>
>> I think it's difficult. Ruby distinguishes between method names
>> and variable names by how they are used. In this case, you'd be
>> using the same name both ways.
> 
> 
> 
> Perhaps this could be an rcr?  I'm having trouble seeing why Ruby would
> impose a syntactic difference between a proc and a method call.  It 
> would be
> nice syntactic sugar IMO.

I just tried to explain why. A proc is stored in a variable.
A variable can't have () after it, because it will look like
a method call.

It's *conceivable* this could be changed, but then people would
(accidentally or on purpose) try to "call" a variable that
didn't refer to a proc:

    a = 5
    a()

Then Ruby would have to be smart enough to call the method a
rather than trying to call the proc that isn't referred to
by a.

Furthermore, suppose you have both. Which takes precedence?

   def say
     puts "hello"
   end

   say = proc { puts "goodbye" }

   say()   # hello or goodbye?



Cheers,
Hal