Pragma syntax

Andrew Tween amtween at hotmail.com
Fri Aug 18 10:05:39 UTC 2006


Hi,
I'll probably be shot down in flames for this suggestion, but...

Why isn't the syntax for pragmas something like this...

<pragma: A value: 10>
<pragma: a:b: value: {1. 2}>
or maybe, <pragma: a: 1 b: 2>

At present, if I compile a method containing
    <primitive: 'a' module: 'b'>
I get a primitive.

But if I've made a typo...
    <primitive: 'a' moduel: 'b'>
I get a pragma. Which is almost certainly not what I wanted.
Of course, the compiler could check that if the first part is primitive: then
the second part is module: , but what about...
    <primitiv: 1>  [sic]
Once again I get a pragma.

Now, <pragma: , can be used for REAL pragmas (ones that do not generate code).
And I can happily add code-generating angle bracket constructs, which have any
syntax I like e.g.
    <sql: select * from mytable>
    <javascript: ...>

Cheers,
Andy






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