Thus it was written in the epistle of Tom Christiansen,
> >Hearing no outright derision in response to my trial balloon, here it is as
> >an RFC:
>
> >=head1 TITLE
>
> >Filehandles should use C<*> as a type prefix if typeglobs are eliminated.
>
> Nope. A filehandle is a singular whatzitz. It thus mandatory takes
> the singular prefix; to wit, $. What's next? Integer and float and
> complex and string and char and bits prefixes?
(Weighing in with the traditional "but Tom" message)
But Tom, filehandles are different gadgets. They have been in perl up to this
point and they are conceptually. I've appreciated and agreed with your linking
the punctuation before a variable to parts of speech, but if the you decide
that $ is the single singular whatzitz, then what is the plural whatzitz? We
have two kinds because they're talking about two different gadgets. Letting
* be another kind of singular whatzitz is a reasonable thing. Think of it as
singular and plural nouns and verbs if that helps :-) (and yes, I know that
analogy doesn't fit very well, so save your fingers on that one :-).
Ted
--
Ted Ashton ([EMAIL PROTECTED]), Info Sys, Southern Adventist University
==========================================================
When Newton saw an apple fall, he found
In that slight startle from his contemplation --
'T is said (for I'll not answer above ground
For any sage's creed or calculation) --
A mode of proving that the earth turn'd round
In a most natural whirl, called "gravitation;"
And this is the sole mortal who could grapple,
Since Adam, with a fall or with an apple.
-- Byron
==========================================================
Deep thoughts to be found at http://www.southern.edu/~ashted
