On May 17, 2011, at 5:04 PM, Kyle Simpson wrote:
> Regarding the -> and => syntax, I just want to throw out one other concern
> that I hope is taken into account, not only now, but for the future: I really
> hope that we don't get to the point where we start adding functionality to
> that style of function that is not available to explicit functions (we're
> almost, but not, there with having => do the magical `this` binding).
You have to distinguish syntax from semantics.
There's nothing proposed for arrow functions that is more than "shorter syntax"
-- including |this| binding.
> I know Brendan and others have declared it's "shorthand only", but it can be
> a slippery slope, and to rely on the "if you don't like -> don't use it"
> argument, we have to make sure that it really stays only a shorthand and
> nothing more, otherwise it's tail-wagging-the-dog.
Agreed, which is why I'm still going to write up a fairy radical Ruby-block
proposal that competes in this sense: it too gives "better function syntax",
plus semantics not available to arrow functions as constrained to be "just
syntax".
I hope we'll be able to decide between these two approaches quickly, since I do
not want to "do both". That is, either arrow functions win and shorter syntax
is enough; or we have blocks for control abstraction (which means other syntax
changes, details soon) and no arrow functions.
> In other words, I hope that those who favor -> aren't also hoping that
> eventually -> replaces `function` entirely. As stated many times thus far in
> this thread, there are still those of us who favor (and maybe always will)
> the explicitness of `function(){}` or `#(){}`.
There's no way to remove 'function' long syntax from JS. Just no way.
Your point about "just syntax" is well-taken, since translation tools will be
important in aiding Harmony migration -- not just for targeting downrev
browsers but for added static checking -- and these should be as simple (local
rewriting, e.g. transpilers not compilers) as possible.
/be
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