On Tuesday, September 17, 2002, at 11:03 , Dick Applebaum wrote: > Sean, even I can write a pre-compile scan that builds a table of any > variables that are defined and typed -- and the a post-compile scan > that replaces the currently generated code with optimal code for any > variables that are defined. It'd be a kludge, but it would work.
I never said it was impossible, just hard. And I'd like to see your solution integrated into the compile-on-demand system that is CFMX... > You are giving reasons that it would be hard to do it right -- > admittedly true! However the question should be: is it worth doing? It's not top of the list by a long way! :) >> But it would be a major change to the language. > Yes it would -- but being optional it would be transparent to those who > did not use it. No, you can't say that with any authority. I've worked extensively with language semantics and I don't think you can *guarantee* that you can introduce optional types and make them work properly while still maintaining 100% semantic compatibility for code that doesn't use types. I' d *hope* it wouldn't change the semantics of the 'old' code but that really isn't my point. The *change* is adding the semantics for types. That *is* a major change to the language. I didn't say it would necessarily be an incompatible change. > Hah, I knew that would get you! OK, I'll drop down to Java just to > get a null. But the ability to pass a null only in cfobject would be a > start Agreed. It's a pain that it is almost impossible to create a usable Java null pointer in CFMX. > But, null is something that CF eventually must address -- surprised > that they didn't do it in CFMX. Because it's too big a change to the language semantics! If CFML is ever changed to include null value support, a *lot* of semantics have to be specified and a *lot* of tag & function behave *will* change. "If you're not annoying somebody, you're not really alive." -- Margaret Atwood ______________________________________________________________________ Get the mailserver that powers this list at http://www.coolfusion.com FAQ: http://www.thenetprofits.co.uk/coldfusion/faq Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/cf-talk@houseoffusion.com/ Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists
