[Python-ideas] Making colons optional?

Ben Finney ben+python at benfinney.id.au
Fri Feb 6 22:27:33 CET 2009


Riobard Zhan <yaogzhan at gmail.com> writes:

> Why do you want a strong association with "here comes a suite" coming
> from colons?

I want that indication from *something*, because indentation isn't
sufficient. A colon ‘:’ is a good choice because its semantic meaning
has a good analogue to the same character in natural language.

> Why don't you want a strong association with "here comes a
> statement" coming from semicolons?

Because “start of a new line at the same indentation level” is
sufficient for that. (Not to mention that the very idea of “here
comes a statement” is rather foreign; I have so little need for
something extra to do that job that I barely recognise it as a job
that needs doing.)

> Can you explain the inconsistency?

Entirely different requirements.

If that's not enough for you, I think the gulf of understanding is too
wide for my level of interest in exploring the reasons.

-- 
 \       “If you go flying back through time and you see somebody else |
  `\   flying forward into the future, it's probably best to avoid eye |
_o__)                                           contact.” —Jack Handey |
Ben Finney




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