Python Rocks! - get rid of colons

[Will Rose]

Tim Peters <tim_one at email.msn.com> wrote:
[...]
: As Michael Hudson said, the connection between colons and blocks was adopted
: from Python's closest predecessor, ABC.  Formal usability studies showed
: that while indentation was less confusing than assorted bracketing
: constructs to newbies, the combination of indentation and an introductory
: colon was even better.  You're right that the grammar has little use for it;
: although, pragmatically, it's a great aid to semi-stupid tools (like Python
: editor modes -- not to mention all us Python programmers <wink>).

Cool.  But if Python is designed for newbies, does that mean we all have
to give up using it after a month (or three months, in my case) when we
actually have some experience with it?

There's certainly a niche for learning languages: but is that really where
Python is headed?  From the libraries and tools available, I hadn't
thought so.


Will
cwr at cts.com