why ; ?

[Edward Diener]

Janice Caron wrote:
>> Programmer, who got used to one language finds it difficult to switch to another language, because different languages require different styles of thinking. Thus for C programmer it's difficult to understand block statement without braces :) and for basic programmer it's difficult to delimit block statement with braces.
> 
> Ah yes - that's probably true.
> 
> I wonder if it's possible to write a standalone tool that doesn't know
> or care about language grammar (except maybe some general rules about
> what constitutes a quote or a comment), that can freely convert
> between
> 
>     Lorem ipsum (dolor sit amet)
>     {
>         consectetur!(adipisicing)(elit, sed);
>         do
>         {
>             eiusmod tempor incididunt;
>             ut labore;
>             et dolore;
>         }
>         magna(aliqua);
>     }
> 
> and
> 
>     Lorem ipsum (dolor sit amet):
>         consectetur!(adipisicing)(elit, sed)
>         do:
>             eiusmod tempor incididunt
>             ut labore
>             et dolore
>         magna aliqua
> 
> If so, we can have not only D-in-Python-style (which I'd never use),
> but also Python-in-D-style (which I actually might). It sounds like it
> ought to be feasible.

I have translated the passages above from Cicero's Latin and it says:

"It is a pleasure to read everybody's views about language coding
conventions but it is painful to realize that some people believe that
they know the one perfect way of using syntax and indentation."

That 'do' in there was causing a problem, since I could not find the
Latin equivalent, but I took it as Cicero's singing the beginning of "do
re mi..." in his Roman bath while he was composing his learned treatises
on computer language morality.