<HEAD><TITLE>discuss@charon: [1148] in "Coldmud discussion meeting"</TITLE>
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<HR><H2>Re: [COLD] scatter/optional assignments - request for discussion</H2>
<H3>daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Fri Nov 29 19:34:59 1996
)</H3>
<PRE>
Date: Fri, 29 Nov 1996 17:30:30 -0700 (MST)
From: Brandon Gillespie &lt;brandon@glacier.cold.org&gt;
To: Andrew Wilson &lt;andrew@aaaaaaaa.demon.co.uk&gt;
cc: Miroslav.Silovic@public.srce.hr, coldstuff@cold.org
In-Reply-To: &lt;199611292357.XAA00906@aaaaaaaa.demon.co.uk&gt;

&gt; Sure.  I don't care about the syntax and ?= is better than unless,
&gt; and I want' suggesting that a different syntax be used.  I wanted
&gt; to know if the 'if' test implicit in ?= was on the existing value
&gt; of the variable or if it was a test for wether or not a value had
&gt; been assigned to the variable.
&gt; 
&gt; It may be the case that it really doesn't matter which property of
&gt; a variable you test (its value, or its settedness).  In which case
&gt; fine.

Ahhh--it is a boolean test on the value of the data, as even 'unset'
variables are technically set to zero--there is no system in the driver
for determining unset vs set (everything begins as '0').

So:

  foo = "";

  foo ?= "bar";

Would result in foo being assigned "bar".

</PRE>
