[574] in Coldmud discussion meeting

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daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Wed Nov 9 18:10:01 1994 )

From: pkautz@ac1.rmwc.edu
Date: Wed, 9 Nov 94 17:48:57 EST
Apparently-To: <coldstuff@mit.edu>

From pkautz Wed Nov  9 23:26:23 1994
From: Paul Kautz <pkautz@ac1.rmwc.edu>
X-Mailer: SCO System V Mail (version 3.2)
To: coldstuff@mit.edu
Subject: :=
Date: Wed, 9 Nov 94 23:26:23 EST
Message-ID:  <9411092326.aa04609@ac1.rmwc.edu>

(Excuse me for not quoting, but it's mailx.)

I don't like :=.  I don't really have any big reason to sway anyone with,
I just feel alot more comfortable using =.  Right now, I'm in a Pascal class,
C and Pascal seem to have two distinct styles which they
encourage and support.  I'd like to think that C-- is similar in style to
C.  It WAS based on C, I believe, even if you want to disacknowledge this.
That doesn't mean it has to have the same bits of it, but it has the same
style to it.  If you DID use := instead of =, it would make me pretty      
uncomfortable in the language.  I believe there are others who think the
same way, but don't speak up, because your arguments are more tangibly
founded.  I do realize that =/== confusing causes alot of problems with
those not completely accustomed to it (as anyone who knows Edge can attest).
But I don't see people who might be used to another language's style and
customs, or just not yet familiar with this style, as boutweighing any other
style, especially the one already implemented. (Suppose there was a movement
to change many of the syntax to alleviate adaptation pains for those
who are used to, say, Modula-3.)
Perhaps it would even help those who are learning to program by having
this.  Mistakes happen, and it is good to learn from them; someone who is
used to adaptation I would say would be in a better position.

Fwiw, didn't I read an article in Wired about all discussions eventually
spiralling into comparisons to Nazis?

Paul

PS: Excuse any typos, lack of quoting, or poor sentence structure.
I'm working without an editor in an unsupported mail system.  For that
reason, excuse also the extra header.