PEP 308: "then" "else" for deprecating "and" "or" side effects

[Christian Tismer]

Erik Max Francis wrote:
> François Pinard wrote:
> 
> 
>>If I translate the keywords of our syntax back to English, it gives:
>>
>>    a when b else c
> 
> 
> This doesn't look like a good counter to the `C then x else y' proposal,
> since using `when' as the keyboard would imply the same ordering as the
> original proposal:
> 
> 	x when C else y
> 
> as in, "Put a jacket on when it's old cold outside, otherwise [else]
> where what you want."  This form (with the condition in the middle) has
> already been suggested -- in fact, it was one of the first alternatives
> to the first if/else proposal brought up.
> 
> Using it to mean
> 
> 	C when x else y
> 
> definitely "reads" wrong in English; if you want this form, the `when'
> should be a `then'.

Who cares about that single character? :-))

Seriously, I don't care too much. It is all better than a
mis-placed "if" in my eyes.

And I really don't want to see an upcoming monstrous, embraced
(if a :then b :else c) construct to creep into the language, for
the small intended benefit. It should be as tiny as the outcome,
so even "a then b else c" isn't short enough. But there are limits...

all the best -- chris

-- 
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