alias A = B; syntax

[Rob T]

On Tuesday, 16 October 2012 at 04:32:29 UTC, Jonathan M Davis 
wrote:
> On Tuesday, October 16, 2012 06:08:27 Marco Leise wrote:
>> Just recently I wondered how the current syntax could possibly
>> have come into existence. >)
>
> It's the same as C's typedef syntax.
>
> - Jonathn M Davis

Alias is not the same thing as C's typedef, but I understand it 
originally evolved out that way from C's version of typedef.

I agree that the current syntax does at first seem inconsistent 
with most other things in the language, and I found myself typing 
it in reverse with the = when I first tried using it, eg

alias Int = int;

On the other hand, I could argue that variable declarations are 
also inconsistent in the same way, eg

int i; // the "declare" keyword is implied

instead of

declare i = int;

So

alias int Int;

is indeed rather consistent with how type declarations are 
currently done. Unfortunately, inconsistencies create needless 
waste, but fixing something like that may be not worth the gain 
once it becomes deeply rooted in the language.

It may not be to late to change the syntax for alias definitions, 
but the type declarations will no doubt remain as they are, and 
the rest of it that is the reverse of type declarations will also 
likely remain as they are.

--rt