Thus it was written in the epistle of Jon Ericson,
> Ted Ashton wrote:
> > Thus it was written in the epistle of Tom Christiansen,
> > > Nope. A filehandle is a singular whatzitz. It thus mandatory takes
> > > the singular prefix; to wit, $. What's next? Integer and float and
> > > complex and string and char and bits prefixes?
> >
> > (Weighing in with the traditional "but Tom" message)
> >
> > But Tom, filehandles are different gadgets.
>
> Filehandles singular, atomic gadgets.
> Singular, atomic gadgets are called scalars in Perl.
>
> > They have been in perl up to this
> > point and they are conceptually.
>
> This is a historical accident.
>
> > I've appreciated and agreed with your linking
> > the punctuation before a variable to parts of speech, but if the you decide
> > that $ is the single singular whatzitz, then what is the plural whatzitz?
>
> Arrays (and hashes)
But that, precisely, was my point: Arrays *and* hashes. If there is more than
one plural whatzitz, then why can't there be more than one singular whatzitz?
(and don't say, "because plural *means* more than one" :-). If having a
filehandle character would make the code clearer, then let's do it.
Ted
--
Ted Ashton ([EMAIL PROTECTED]), Info Sys, Southern Adventist University
==========================================================
To throw in a fair game at Hazards only three-spots, when something great is
at stake, or some business is the hazard, is a natural occurrence and
deserves to be so deemed; and even when they come up the same way for a
second time if the throw be repeated. If the third and fourth plays are the
same, surely there is occasion for suspicion on the part of a prudent man.
-- Cardano, Girolamo (1501 - 1576)
==========================================================
Deep thoughts to be found at http://www.southern.edu/~ashted
