Re: proto-RFC: keys(HASH) as lvalue (was Re: RFC 179 )

[Bart Lateur]

On Fri, 1 Sep 2000 10:23:27 -0400, John Porter wrote:

>>     keys %HASH = LIST;
>> 
>> is really
>> 
>>     @HASH{ LIST } = ();
>
>Sure.  Would you have any great objection to adding the alternative syntax?

I have some doubts. See perlfunc -f keys, from which I quote:

     If you say

        keys %hash = 200;

     then `%hash' will have at least 200 buckets allocated for
     it--256 of them, in fact, since it rounds up to the next power
     of two.

So, in summary: with this new syntax, you cannot safely distinguish

        keys %hash = 200;

from

        $hash{200} = undef;

-- 
        Bart.