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Datum labels David A. Wheeler 16 Mar 2013 04:34 UTC

We currently don't say anything about datum labels, a capability in R7RS.  I propose this text for the SRFI:

"A sweet-expression reader MAY implement datum labels with syntax #number=datum. If the first character after the equal sign is not whitespace, such a reader SHOULD read it as a neoteric-expression. If the first character after the equal sign is whitespace, a datum reader MAY reject it. A reader MAY also accept a datum label that is an initial expression of a head production (see the BNF below), with a trailing space or tab, as labelling the rest of the sweet-expression."

I've modified the sample implementation so that it supports datum labels, but only if #NUMBER= is followed by non-whitespace (in which case it calls the neoteric-reader).  Implementing a sweet-expression reader after the "=" is a lot more work, and I don't think we need to try to do that since users can always use neoteric-expressions.  I think datum labels are just too specialized to work that hard at implementing them in other cases; we just need to reserve a syntax so that we COULD add it later.

Well, anyway, that's my position.  Any objections or agreements?

 --- David A. Wheeler