Tuple Format?

[warrenk at Zem.Zem]

Steve Holden <sholden at holdenweb.com> wrote:
>
>This thread has become a veteran, but ironically I have not yet seen
>a SINGLE suggestion which would be easier to explain to novices than
>the current syntax.  Anything which tries to use the same token to open
>AND close a tuple is doomed to failure when nested tuples are needed.
>
>Ho, hum.
>
>regards
> Steve


Isn't this concern about bracketing tuples a red herring?
Except for an empty tuple, tuples are defined by the comma.
Parentheses are only needed to resolve ambiguities in argument
lists,
    foo(x, (a,tuple))

lists,
    [1, (2, 3)]

and to group tuples inside tuples.
    1, (2, 3)

The first two are because the comma is used for reasons other
than tuple creation.  I think the last example is unavoidable.

So, just come up with another tuple delimiter.  Let's use a
semicolon, I never use them anyway.

    foo(x, a;tuple) 
    [1, 2;3] 
    1;(2;3)

That just leaves the problem of an empty tuple.  Why not this?
    empty_tuple = ;

The inconsistancy of trailing commas or semicolons (tuple
operators?)  can be solved by requiring them.

    one_item_tuple = 1; 
    two_item_tuple = 1;2;

Now tuple construction can be explained by saying:

    The tuple operator - ';' - concatenates the preceeding
    item into a tuple.

        [item] ; [item ; ...]

Is that simple enough?
Would it work?
Does any of this thread really matter? :)

(BTW, I really am curious if it would work.)

Warren