TITLE

Simplify do BLOCK Syntax

VERSION

  Maintainer: Mark Senn <mds@purdue.edu>
  Date: 26 Aug 2000
  Last Modified: 29 Aug 2000
  Mailing List: perl6-language@perl.org
  Number: 167
  Version: 2
  Status: Developing

ABSTRACT

Simpify syntax of do BLOCK by deleting do before the block and ; after it.

DESCRIPTION

One of the most common mistakes I make is forgetting a ; after do BLOCK, probably because I'm thinking ``if'' and an if doesn't require a : after it's closing }. I'll type, for example,

    $cond  and  do  {
        # statements
    }

instead of

    $cond  and  do  {
        # statements
    };

Can the syntax be simplified to drop the ;, and while you're at it, how about the do also, so one can type

    $cond  and  {
        # statements
    }

If the do and ; are redundant should they be eliminated to obey the rule:

    Omit redundant punctuation as long as clarity doesn't suffer.

on page 604 of Camel III?

IMPLEMENTATION

Unknown.

REFERENCES

Camel III, pages 123--125, 604