Re: Prefix, not postfix Felix S Klock II 20 Apr 2006 18:18 UTC

(my apologies, I forgot to properly set up the Subject line on my
previous mail to the list.)

> 1) I prefer prefix syntax, e.g.   (button :text "OK" :action quit)
> 2) I prefer suffix syntax, e.g.   (button text: "OK" action: quit)
> 3) I don't care

Why not offer the fourth option of prefix colon syntax but successor
keyword placement, e.g.

(button "OK" :text quit :action)

One group seems to really want the colon to come in between the
keyword and the value.  Another group wants the colon to appear at
the start of the keyword.  So, if those are actually the constraints
we are trying to satisfy, then this would be a reasonable compromise.

Of course, I suspect compatibility with existing systems (and thus
providing the keyword before the value rather than afterward) is
going to trump this suggestion.  And there's also the oddity that
(button "OK") may behave *very* differently from (button
"OK" :text).  But those don't seem like reasons to throw out the idea
immediately.

-Felix