bracestarbrace {*}: now I'm happy with it...

skuh...@web.de

unread,

Jul 6, 2007, 1:59:01 AM7/6/07

to

Hello

I remember many threads here where people argued, if {*} in 8.5 is
ugly, or even not really a syntax extension but a keyword and such. I
never had a real feeling for it, since I was very happy with the
[eval] workarounds (some years from now, they may be called [evil
workarounds] because of their probably much worse performance... ;-)

Now I just read the wiki page about Directory recursion (http://
wiki.tcl.tk/17275) and found a very convincing example of {*}
usage.The first convincing for me, because it's simply much more
elegant using {*}.

Nevertheless, there's one question: What's the name of the
bracestarbrace-thingy? Does it have a catchy name, so I can say to my
other freak-programming-languages-fan-friends: Yes, but Tcl has
"bracestarbrace", how about that...?

Regards
Stephan

Aric Bills

unread,

Jul 6, 2007, 2:13:03 AM7/6/07

to

> Nevertheless, there's one question: What's the name of the
> bracestarbrace-thingy? Does it have a catchy name, so I can say to my
> other freak-programming-languages-fan-friends: Yes, but Tcl has
> "bracestarbrace", how about that...?
>
> Regards
> Stephan

I believe it's called "argument expansion" and I agree that it's worth
bragging about :)

skuh...@web.de

unread,

Jul 6, 2007, 5:04:30 AM7/6/07

to

Aric Bills schrieb:

> I believe it's called "argument expansion" and I agree that it's worth
> bragging about :)

I know, but I did not ask for the name of the function of
"bracestarbrace", but for the name of the token. Since it is a simple
syntax element, it should have a name of its own. E.g. what the token
is called in the parser (maybe I should look into 8.5s parser code...)

Regards
Stephan

Mark Roseman

unread,

Jul 6, 2007, 6:22:18 AM7/6/07

to

skuh...@web.de wrote:
> Nevertheless, there's one question: What's the name of the
> bracestarbrace-thingy? Does it have a catchy name, so I can say to my
> other freak-programming-languages-fan-friends: Yes, but Tcl has
> "bracestarbrace", how about that...?

How about "wart"? ;-)

Mark

Donal K. Fellows

unread,

Jul 6, 2007, 6:52:00 AM7/6/07

to

skuh...@web.de wrote:
> I know, but I did not ask for the name of the function of
> "bracestarbrace", but for the name of the token. Since it is a simple
> syntax element, it should have a name of its own. E.g. what the token
> is called in the parser (maybe I should look into 8.5s parser code...)

It's name is "expand".

Donal.

skuh...@web.de

unread,

Jul 6, 2007, 8:43:25 AM7/6/07

to

Donal K. Fellows wrote:
> It's name is "expand".

Thanks. (I hoped, it would be more buzzword-like, e.g. *The Deeper
Meaning Star", 'cause it inserts the deeper meaning of what follows
it..., sounding a little more mysterious and fancy to non-
Tclers... ;-)

Stephan

Jeff Hobbs

unread,

Jul 6, 2007, 4:58:47 PM7/6/07

to skuh...@web.de

skuh...@web.de wrote:
> Nevertheless, there's one question: What's the name of the
> bracestarbrace-thingy? Does it have a catchy name, so I can say to my
> other freak-programming-languages-fan-friends: Yes, but Tcl has
> "bracestarbrace", how about that...?

It is called the polyphemus operator.

Jeff

miguel sofer

unread,

Jul 6, 2007, 5:44:54 PM7/6/07

to

On Jul 6, 5:58 pm, Jeff Hobbs <j...@activestate.com> wrote:

Colin remarked on the chat that it also ascii-art for goatse.cx

Ever since, I have trouble using it - almost feel like going back to
linsert gymnastics. He could have told us before the vote, right?

Georgios Petasis

unread,

Jul 7, 2007, 8:55:58 AM7/7/07

to Jeff Hobbs, skuh...@web.de

O/H Jeff Hobbs έγραψε:

Interesting name. Does it resemble the one eyed giant of odyssey? :-)

George