On 1/7/2014 1:14 PM, Simonov Denis wrote: >> Why it have to have fixed position? Cannot btyacc syntax parser handle a >> clause anywhere?.. > > Course parser can parse and tips from various places, but I look at it > from the perspective of the application developer. It is much easier to > remove or comment out the tips when they are concentrated in one place > request, than to seek out across a query that may not be quite small. > > >
Semantically significant comments are such a mistake. The fact that other system use them don't make them a good idea. Comments are comments and are meant to be ignored. What are you supposed to do if you see a syntax or semantic error is a hint-comment? Given an error? Guess at the users intent? Quietly ignore it? FIRST has some real problems. You could do it with the non-standard Firebird FIRST, but extending the SQL standard clauses to allow the number of rows to be omitted is a blatant violation of the standard, which is not a good idea. The FIRST clause in GDML goes all the way back to Datatrieve-11 V1.0. It's extremely convenient for interactive use. I used it to signal navigational index walking in, maybe, 1986 or 1987 for dBase emulation for Ashton-Tate. So we're not really talking semantics here, just the syntax. "FIRST <a large number>" does the trick. It works as well with standard SQL as Firebird SQL. I haven't a clue why the optimizer isn't handling it correctly, if, in fact, it isn't. Semantically significant comments are among the worst general language ideas in the history of computing. Outside of the database world, has anyone ever run into a real language that supports anything like it? Guy, something is either part of the language or it isn't. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rapidly troubleshoot problems before they affect your business. Most IT organizations don't have a clear picture of how application performance affects their revenue. With AppDynamics, you get 100% visibility into your Java,.NET, & PHP application. Start your 15-day FREE TRIAL of AppDynamics Pro! http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/clk?id=84349831&iu=/4140/ostg.clktrk Firebird-Devel mailing list, web interface at https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/firebird-devel
