yank unary '+'?

[Rainer Deyke]

Andrei Alexandrescu wrote:
> Michiel Helvensteijn wrote:
>> Andrei Alexandrescu wrote:
>>
>>> Is there any good use of unary +?
>>
>> I think it's just good symmetry. It makes a programming language just a
>> little bit more elegant. Plus, you keep the 0.01% of programmers that use
>> it happy.
>>
>> What will removing it gain you?
> 
> Sancta simplicitas.

Removing unary '+' does not simplify the language, but complicates it.
In math, '+' and '-' are partners.  Syntactically, in every context
where '-' can be used, '+' can also be used.  Keeping this symmetry is
the easiest, simplest thing to do.

Yes, it's easy to remember that while '-' works both as a binary and an
unary operator, '+' is always binary.  But should one have to?  The
omission of unary '+' would be dead weight in the language, reserving a
symbol that can never be used for any purpose other than adding unary
'+' back in.


-- 
Rainer Deyke - rainerd at eldwood.com