[Python-Dev] Integer division transition

[Peter Funk]

> Charles G Waldman writes:
>  > I think that making "div" an infix operator would be setting a
>  > horrible precedent.  Currently, all infix operators "look like"
>  > operators, i.e. they are non-alphabetic characters, and things that
>  > look like words are either functions or reserved words.
 
Fred L. Drake, Jr.:
>   Like "is", "in", "is not", and "not in"?

And not to forget "and", "or" which were also infix operators from
the very beginning.  So "div" is no precedent at all.

IMHO the term "horrible" applies to operator symbols composed out
of non-alphabetic characters, where the meaning of these operators 
is hard to guess.  

counter-example: Using "><" as a vector cross product operator might 
still make some sense.  

But what would be the meaning of all those other arbitrary combinations
like ".+", ".%", ".*", "//", "@.", "~*" or what else has been proposed
to extend Python in the numeric area?  As long as the meaning of such
an operator isn't obvious from basic math knowledge, I clearly prefer
keyword operators.

Regards, Peter
-- 
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