Is [] mandatory for array operations?

[Don]

bearophile wrote:
> Johan Granberg:
>> I think it is an
>> acceptable tradeof that the people that need optimal speed write there code
>> in a more uncompressed formm using manual loops or wathewer. Then the cases
>> not on the criitical path of the program can be written more compactly
>> using a slightly slower but much faster to write style.
> 
> In this specific case the compiler must become smarter and able to optimize away the performance loss. Otherwise it's a failed language and a failed compiler.

Exactly. Array operations must be optimally fast (faster than a manual 
loop, in general), or else refuse to compile. They are not syntax sugar.