procmail
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: syntax enhancement dreams

1997-08-27 12:45:00

David W. Tamkin wrote:

Terry Jones wrote,

| what i am claiming (and i'll use one of your example responses below
| to illustrate this) is that something like this:
| 
|   if ((A || B) && (C || D)){
|     action;
|   }
| 
| is vastly easier for people to look at, vaguely understand, and build
| upon than your equivalent:
| 
|   :0
|   * !A
|   * !B
|   { }
|   :0E
|   * !C
|   * !D
|   { }
|   :0E
|   action

If exposure to C or something similar has already made them familiar with
"&&" and "||" and "{ ... ;}" while total strangeness from procmail has kept
them from ever learning what ":0E" means, then yes.

Or exposure to awk, perl and a whole bunch of other languages!
 
I see exactly what the first means, but could never figure out the second
in a million years.
--
Peter Galbraith, research scientist             
<galbraith(_at_)mixing(_dot_)qc(_dot_)dfo(_dot_)ca>
Maurice-Lamontagne Institute, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada
P.O. Box 1000, Mont-Joli Qc, G5H 3Z4 Canada  418-775-0852 - FAX 418-775-0546

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>