Nick Sabalausky wrote:
"Walter Bright" <newshou...@digitalmars.com> wrote in message
news:hogsv9$11u...@digitalmars.com...
One thing is clear, though. 0177 is never going to be a decimal number in
D, because it will silently and disastrously break code translated from C.
I'm certainly fine with that, since not breaking ported C code is one of D's
philosophies.
The only choice is to support 0177 as octal or make it a syntax error. I'd
rather support them.
Supporting it means it will "silently and disastrously break code" from
anyone who tries to use a leading zero and *isn't* a C guru, and very few
people these days are (I used C for years without being aware of that octal
syntax - it's only by dumb luck I didn't try to use a leading zero).
Granted, it may not be common for someone to try to use leading zeroes, but
it's a landmine I'd rather not have, even if it is down a less-travelled
sidestreet, expecially considering it's all for such a trivial benefit
(which amounts to what, one person who just thinks it looks pretty?)
Yes, it's just one more thing for a newbie to learn.
