The variable name in :(**@args) is @args, it could be any valid array
identifier like @data
sub printx( **@data ){…}
Note that there are several forms for slurpy positional arguments.
:( @a ) # not slurpy at all, takes one Positional argument and
aliases it as @a.
:( *@a ) # flattening slurpy (1,),2,3 → 1,2,3 and ((1,),2,3) → 1,2,3
:( **@a ) # structured slurpy (1,),2,3 → (1,),2,3 and ((1,),2,3) →
((1,),2,3) # note there is no change
:( +@a ) # one-arg rule slurpy (1,),2,3 → (1,),2,3 and ((1,),2,3)
→ (1,),2,3 # note that the second one changes
Note that itemized values do not get flattened for :(*@a), and that
Array values are itemized.
I like to consider the one-arg rule slurpy :(+@a) to be like a
combination between non-slurpy :(@a) and structured slurpy :(**@a)
That is a one-arg rule slurpy will sometimes be like an alias to a
singular positional, otherwise it will act like a structured slurpy.
Note that all but the [aliasing] non-slurpy :(@a) are [almost] always Array's.
---
The one-arg rule slurpy is the oddest one of the bunch so here is some
brief information:
The one-arg rule slurpy can be sigiless :(+a), in which case it will
be a List instead of an Array or an alias to the single argument
depending on what it was.
sub one-arg-rule ( +args ){
say args.^name, " # ", args.perl;
}
one-arg-rule( (1,),2,3 ); # List # ((1,), 2, 3)
one-arg-rule( ((1,),2,3) ); # List # ((1,), 2, 3) # one-arg rule
one-arg-rule( ((1,),2,3).Seq ); # Seq # ((1,), 2, 3).Seq # one-arg rule
one-arg-rule( 1..3 ); # List # (1, 2, 3)
one-arg-rule( (1..3,) ); # List # (1..3,)
sub one-arg-Array ( +@args ){
say @args.^name, " # ", @args.perl;
}
one-arg-Array( (1,),2,3 ); # Array # [(1,), 2, 3]
one-arg-Array( ((1,),2,3) ); # Array # [(1,), 2, 3]
one-arg-Array( ((1,),2,3).Seq ); # List # ((1,), 2, 3)
one-arg-Array( 1..3 ); # Array # [1, 2, 3]
one-arg-Array( (1..3,) ); # Array # [1..3,]
The one-arg rule exists because people tend to write the following:
my @a = [1,2,3];
When the correct way to write it is:
my @a = 1,2,3;
There are various other places where the one-arg rule is also used, so
it was made available to everyone.
---
Don't get too flustered if you don't understand all of the nuances, it
take everybody a while to understand them.
