Python Rocks! - get rid of colons

[Will Rose]

Ian Parker <parker at gol.com> wrote:
: In article <867qt1$a49 at news.or.intel.com>, tye4 <tye4 at yahoo.com> writes
:>
:>I have Python installed on Linux Redhat 6.0. Does anyone know where the
:>source code for the compiler is located (any .tar file?). I intend to modify
:>the language's syntax to add
:>'end' delimiters for the blocks.
:>And since Python is copyrighted, I don't intend to flood out versions to
:>anyone else... strictly for personal use.
:>
:>class TestNew
:>
:>    def foo(s):
:>        for i in range(0, 10):
:>            print i,
:>        end loop
:>
:>        if i == 10:
:>            print 'internal error'
:>        end if
:>
:>        while i < 10:
:>            print i
:>        end loop
:>    end def
:>
:>end class
:>
:>My end delimiters are inspired by Ada, which in my personal opinion has best
:>overall syntax.
:>
:>Thx,
:>
:>-tye4
:>
:>

: Well since you're going back to ADA, I've just recalled my favourite
: method of termination, in Algol 68: if.. fi, do..od convention, eg.

:    if i == 10:
:        print 'internal error'
:    fi

: A68 used "for .. do .. od" or "while .. do .. od". For Python perhaps
: "rof" would be appropriate

:    for i in range(0, 10):
:        print i,
:    rof          

: Although I suppose to be more inline with Algol 68, you'd have to a
: reverse colon on the for statement, which might be unclear.

The pair I always liked were case ... esac, which I'm pretty sure
were Algol something.

: I got profoundly fed up with languages that required "end xxx" to
: terminate.    However, I still prefer even that to simply using
: indentation (too much mixing of the message with the medium).

Ditto.  Python has its faults (cries of no!, no!) but it's better than
all the alternatives.  I wish it had a really mean syntax checker, tho';
or at least some way of requiring declaration before use.


Will
cwr at cts.com