New PEP: The directive statement

[Grant Griffin]

In article <mailman.985224089.1179.python-list at python.org>, "Tim says...
...
>I may like
>Martin's "transitional" better for this reason -- provided that it wakes
>people up enough to think about what they're reading.  Alas,
>
>    from __transitional__ import nested_scopes
>
>is not only ugly, it's not even funny, so would be worse than "from
>__future__ ...".  It works better with "directive" because it keeps it
>uniformly bland.

You know, if this "__future__" thing really goes through, I predict we'll
eventually see something like this:

   from __future__ import __transitional__

or maybe even

   import __future__ as __transitional__

(I'm not sure if the proposed syntax will support that, though. <wink>)

Now, I like a good joke as much as the next guy <wink, wink, say no more>, but
I'm not sure software is the place for jokes.

Problem is, computers seem to be inherently un-funny.  For example, imagine the
following from the old Star Trek series:

   Kirk: Computer?

   Computer: Working.

   Kirk: Why did the chicken cross the road?

   Computer: Specify chicken.

I once worked on a system which, whenver you made a typo in entering a command,
responded with, "Fat-finger typo error".  That was funny for the first day or
two, but it wore thin in about a week, and it became downright annoying after a
month.  Then, after close to a year, we finally got good at ignoring it.

Similarly, whenever I use "friend" in C++, I wince a little bit.  And not just
for the construct itself--for its name.  I don't think "friend" was ever meant
as a joke, but even so, it's just a _little_ too cute.

Oh, and don't get me started on Bill Gates' dancing paper clip...

>if-you-can't-laugh-at-your-tools-you're-taking-them-too-seriously-ly

Should we laugh at ourselves?  Definitely!  Should we laugh at each other? 
Hopefully!  But should we laugh at our tools?  Never!

(Sorry to be such a wet blanket. :-)

a-workman-is-known-by-his-tools-ly y'rs,

=g2

_____________________________________________________________________

Grant R. Griffin                                       g2 at dspguru.com
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