Perl is worse! (was: Python is Wierd!)

[Steve Lamb]

On Fri, 28 Jul 2000 12:57:31 +0200, Alex Martelli <alex at magenta.com> wrote:
>I'm not being a Python apologist here; I think that using typed data
>is preferable in most cases _but not in all_, and that Python should
>let the operation determine the context, rather than the data, in a
>few more cases than it currently does.

    First off, thank you for the wonderful post.  Completely enjoyable to
read.  Also thank you for saying this and all that follows.  I'll most likely
bow out of the discussion now since I think all that is going to be said has
been said.  I just wanted to raise one question:

    What about a way to define a variable that you want to be mutable.
Something set at time of creation that allows a more of the type
transformations of perl to be performed while still retaining the type
checking for all other operations?  It seems that they main problem people
have is the automatic conversion when there is the potential for a loss of
data or when it is "senseless" (nevermind that a lot of things are senseless
in programming, like rollover of integers in C, but I digress).  Why not,
then, allow the programmer to say, "Yes, convert /this/ variable as needed
based on context"?  A JUST_DO_IT!!!! flag, if you will?

-- 
         Steve C. Lamb         | I'm your priest, I'm your shrink, I'm your
         ICQ: 5107343          | main connection to the switchboard of souls.
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