From: Robert Klemme <shortcutter@...>
Date: 2007-09-05T02:32:25+09:00
Subject: Re: assigning to hash keys when there is a default value?

2007/9/4, Russell Norris <rsl@swimcommunity.org>:
> The problem with that is that || doesn't work that way, imo.
>
> x || whatever
>
> only does whatever if x isn't true. Excuse me if I'm sounding like a
> broken record but the more we talk about this the more I'm convinced
> that this "bug" only exists if you expect || to act like + does just
> because it's an "operator" instead of allowing for the fact that ||
> isn't a method like + and friends.
>
> || is special. It takes another bus to ||= than + does, heh. ;)
>
> Sorry for the silliness there.

I wonder why nobody commented on my attempt to point at the practical
implications. Sure I understand that it would be more consistent if
x||=y were equivalent to x = x||y but there are two questions here
IMHO that need to be answered: 1. which solution has advantages in
practice and 2. does it matter at all /in practice/ which approach is
taken?

Kind regards

robert