On special syntax (was Re: Matlab vs Python ...)

[Paul Prescod]

Huaiyu Zhu wrote:
> 
>...
> 
> Ok, since the issue of additional binary operators has been repeatedly
> compared with various features of Perl that people dislike, without much
> details, it might be worthwhile to give it some more thoughts here.  We've
> already seen that the "it has a small userbase" argument is largely vacuous.

Argh. No, it isn't vacuous. Compared to the total number of programmers
in the world, the number of matrix programmers is small. 

> There is also a perception that Perl has too many special symbols that makes
> Perl code look like line noise.  However, if we look carefully, the fault of
> special symbols is not that they are non-alphanumeric, but that they
> introducing scoping rules.  You have to really think hard to decipher the
> scoping of things like @{$a->{$b}}[2].  (Sorry if it is wrong - I'm forgetting
> how to make it right now.)
> There might be an argument that special characters are hard to read.  As I
> said, they are hard to read mainly because of their magical effects.

No, special characters are hard to read because when you first see them,
they have no meaning. Method names have meaning because they are words
in some human language. "+", "-", "*" have meaning because you learn
them in primary school. @* has no meaning. That's why it looks like Perl
to many people. Perl is a language which, among other flaws, ascribes
meanings to symbols that have no intrinsic meaning, which is bad from an
aesthetic point of view but also makes the language more difficult to
learn.


-- 
 Paul Prescod - Not encumbered by corporate consensus
Just how compassionate can a Republican get before he has to leave the 
GOP and join Vegans for Global Justice? ... One moment, George W. Bush
is holding a get-to-know-you meeting with a bunch of gay Republicans.
The next he is holding forth on education or the environment ... It is
enough to make a red-blooded conservative choke on his spotted-owl
drumstick.     - April 29th, Economist