Number literals (Was: Re: Case Range Statement ..)

[Andrei Alexandrescu]

Derek Parnell wrote:
> So ...

... just in case you look over your shoulder:

> Octal literals are so common that we need compiler/language support.

We don't need, we have it.

> Character ranges are so rare that we do not need compiler/language support.

This is just immature. It's not that character ranges are rare; it's
just that we can express them properly without some special mechanism.

> Compatibility with C is paramount, except when it's not.

You didn't understand. Compatibility with C is important in the sense
that we want to have a clean-cut answer to a function rsa_encrypt()
taken from C and pasted into D: either it compiles and runs with the
same result, or it doesn't compile. That's the scenario. I don't
understand how you make a case of duplicity out of this one.

> Technical merit trumps human interface.

Humans define technicality. To your question "Would any answer make a
difference?" I retorted "Of course, as long as it has technical merit."
Maybe that answer was misunderstood - I mean technical as opposed to the
nontechnical arguments that had been put forth.

> I think that I'm not ready for the D programming language after all. I'll
> drop by the sandbox from time to time out of curiosity, I suppose. Good
> luck and thanks for all the fish.

Out of curiosity, which superior language are you careening towards?

(I'd also be curious what "superdude" would answer to that. I recall he
managed in the *same post* to state some utterly conflicting
requirements for his would-be language, sort of like a woman who wants a
guy who's "strong, you know, but also totally sensitive." Then superdude
kind of implicitly concluded he has no idea where to go but left
nonetheless with the tail up. How competent does one have to be to make
even the last proud shot a misfire?)

Anyhow... it would be a bummer if the negative atmosphere as of late in 
the group would cause people like you just lose interest. I can't 
understand what's going on. It starts looking like a disfunctional 
relationship: the more Walter and others do, the less content people on 
the group are. I don't care much for being pat on the back, but it's 
extremely disheartening to see that the more we do the more we're 
getting yelled at. What I guess I'll do is just lay low and wait for the 
negative ions to go away.


Andrei