On Fri, 16 Apr 2004, Juerd wrote: > Defining ` to be a bareword quoting operator would be only one step away > from what I suggested initially: > > 1. %hash`key > 2. %array`5 > 3. :key`value > > 4. say `hello; > > This would make it like <<>> now, but allowing only one bareword, and > only if it is simple (identifier-ish). Oh, and much easier to read and > type :) > > I like the idea of making a bareword quoting operator!
I never liked unbalanced quotations in lisp, and I don't think I will like them in perl either. Written language sets a strong precedent that quotations should be balanced. (Apostrophes are not balanced, but they elide instead of quote.) I haven't decided how I feel about a bareword quoting operator, but I am strongly against quoting things with unbalanced quotation marks. Besides: say `hello; say 'hello'; I count one keystroke difference there, and ' is easier to type than `, so give it some credit for that. You'll spend many, many more keystrokes explaining to people what the first one means, and why unexpected things happen if they type say `hello`; Just so you don't read too much into that, I will agree in advance that %hash`key is more apostrophitic in nature. I disagree with that change for other reasons, but making ` an unbalanced quoting operator is one step too far. > (But only 1 and 2 really matter to me. 1 more than 2.) > > > To get an item out of a hash, you can write %varname{"key"}. > > You can also write %varname<<key>> if there aren't any spaces in > > the key. Finally, if the key doesn't have any characters in it > > except for letters, numbers and underscores, you can write > > %varname`key. > > That's not a great way to teach a langage, and for a reference manual, I > think separation into three paragraphs will make things much clearer. You didn't answer his question, "which is less complicated?" > Basically, if ` is made a generic bareword quoter, <<>> is its plural > form. That makes it easier to explain. << Well, except that it isn't really! >> Three different subscripting syntaxes, each with different quoting rules. I don't find that prospect attractive. ~ John Williams