Re: [Axiom-developer] help function

[M. Edward (Ed) Borasky]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

Waldek Hebisch wrote:
> When I began to use Axiom closing parenthesis looked pointless and
> obscure to me.  Now I can see reasons for using closing parenthesis
> and I think it is both obscure and ingenious.  It is ingenious
> largely because of obscurity -- closing parenthesis at the
> beginning of the line rarely conflicts with other uses.  However
> it is confusing at least for computer literate people -- we
> are trained that parenthesis should always match.  It may
> be confusing for programs: once you put system command in 
> a file simple editor functions to show matching parenthesis
> will behave strangely.
> 
> Also, we have at least on bug report where closing parenthesis
> is user input is wrongly read as system command.  And there
> are subtle differences between input taken from standard
> input, input read via read command and Shoe (old Boot and
> Spad use the same handler so they should be compatible).

My first reaction on seeing commands starting with ")" was to recall
having seen that convention used in other software from IBM in the
mid-1960s, although I can't remember exactly when and where. It might
even date back before the 029 keypunch became widespread.

Now, can we argue about something else? )smiley

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.7 (GNU/Linux)
Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org

iD8DBQFG3r7g8fKMegVjSM8RAhQlAJ0YBIWacmSTHIN6MzBE1ProUZPi8gCfcnKT
7+hlbwKDdbRCFNSR36QQbFU=
=eOPf
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----