Operators for everything (was Re: Operators for matrix)

[Tim Rowe]

In article <m3em4ld5t3.fsf at atrus.jesus.cam.ac.uk>, mwh21 at cam.ac.uk 
(Michael Hudson) wrote:

> Sorry, but eh?  I fail to understand you, I think.
> 
> Example usage of what I'm talking about:
> 
> def add(x,y):
>     return x + y
> 
> 1 @add 1
>   ==> 2

My problem is that identifiers that refer to overloaded infix operators 
must begin with a @ (and presumably any identifier beginning with @ must 
be an overloaded infix operator). Hey, why not force integers to begin 
with a %, strings with a $...

I don't like it because it makes programs harder to read. One of the 
reasons I don't like Perl is that it tends to look as if the whole program 
is obscene and has been censored with $@**!& special symbols! One of the 
advantages of Python is that there is little of this nonsense, and I would 
hate to see it added to. I don't think extensible infix is worth it.

By the way, /I'd/ expect x add y to set x to x + y, leave y alone and 
return None (or x + y if this were comp.lang.c). I'd expect x plus y to 
have the behaviour you expect of add. I'm undecided whether that's a 
problem with infix or the perennial problem of choosing good identifiers!