Tango output formatting (was: This is SO crazy. D has variable template args!)

[kris]

Craig Black wrote:
> // Tango yuck
> Stdout("x is ")(x).newline;

It not at all clear why some folks have latched onto the above syntax as 
some kind of figurehead :)

This is Tango formatting:

# Stdout.formatln ("x is {}, y is {}, z is {}", x, y, z);

along with this variation for handling I18N argument indexing:

# Stdout.formatln ("x is {2}, y is {0}, z is {1}", y, z, x);

Yes, there are optional formatting specifiers within the {} also. It 
just so happens that Tango /also/ supports non-formatted output using 
the same entity:

# Stdout (x);

And, for those who just need to output some values quickly, sans 
formatting, the same call handles more than one argument:

# Stdout (x, y, z);

Notice the lack of formatting text in the above? Instead it simply emits 
", " between the arguments, since that is how it is written in the call.


It just so happens that Stdout also returns itself, which can be used 
for chaining purposes. Hence, you /can/ use it in the following manner:

Stdout (x) (y) (z);

Tango has an idiom of returning a chaining instance when there's nothing 
much else of value to return. The above is just a continuation of that 
general pattern, and does not imply some kind of usage requirement.

I hope this helps to clarify somewhat?