>> This feature makes the language more complicated, and so makes code >> harder to read. To understand an if-statement that has an end >> condition, I now have to remember to check not only its if-condition >> but also the end-condition. I expect that more bugs will occur from >> forgetting to check this, than the bugs avoided by it. > > No you don't. You don't have to change a single line of code. You > simply have the _option_ of explicitly stating what a specific end > block ends. In a 100-line code block that is nested five levels, this > can be a very nice memory aid. You have always had the option of using > something like
Aren't you two talking at cross purposes here? The first person's assertion is that the new feature makes things harder to READ. The second person is pointing out that the new syntax shows that it doesn't make code harder to WRITE, since we have the option of not using it. Seems to me that both of you are right, but not (at this point in time) talking about the same thing. The fact remains that some people will use the new syntax if it's there, while other people won't. So, if there's a danger of that making code harder to read then it's an issue we should take seriously. Personally, I think that we should not have this new feature in a simple scripting language. I would find it useful, hypothetically, in a full-blown language in one expects to code very complicated algorithms. In that hypothetical case, one could encourage people to use the new syntax all the time. But in a simple shell language, obviously a lot of people (certainly me) would mostly use the old syntax. And then when I was reading code which used the new syntax, not being used to it, I'd get confused. So I'd prefer to keep things as they are, with just the one block ending, "end". KISS. Jason ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Using Tomcat but need to do more? Need to support web services, security? Get stuff done quickly with pre-integrated technology to make your job easier Download IBM WebSphere Application Server v.1.0.1 based on Apache Geronimo http://sel.as-us.falkag.net/sel?cmd=lnk&kid=120709&bid=263057&dat=121642 _______________________________________________ Fish-users mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/fish-users
