> if( # would not introduce a function call to a function called "if" > foo (1,2) # would stop passing a single list to a sub called foo.
To clarify, the idea was that *if* an identifier was followed by parens, and *if* that identifier existed as a function name/subroutine name/multi name, *then* the first set of parens would be for holding the arguments. If the code wants to pass a single list, then enclose it in a second set of parens. This simple rule removes *whitespace* as being the critical distinction for what the code does. It also makes it much more clear because two sets of parens tells you something is going on far more than " " <== that does. The idea was not to say any identifier followed by parens be treated as a function. i.e. "if()" would call a function called "if" only if it existed as a function. if NOT, then treat it as an expression. If I have code with a function mysub in it, and then later perl adds a "mysub" keyword, then mysub() would always call a the mysub function so long as it exists in the code. -----Original Message----- From: Tobias Leich via RT [mailto:perl6-bugs-follo...@perl.org] Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2016 12:03 PM To: London Greg (IFAM PMM DCDC IC2 DD) Subject: [perl #127598] white space affects which multiple dispatch subroutine is getting called. Hi, please consider using this slang which will most likely give you what you need: https://github.com/FROGGS/p6-Slang-Tuxic But the short answer here is that the function call syntax wont change anymore. Some examples that would break when we would change it: if( # would not introduce a function call to a function called "if" foo (1,2) # would stop passing a single list to a sub called foo. The first shown example is important. Perl 6 does not want to reserve special keywords today and in future that ban functions of the same name. So there is syntax (whitespace) that disambiguates. Image you have a function called mysub today in your enterprise application, and we make it a keyword in Perl 6.d. With your approach your code would break, with our approach a function call like mysub() would still work out.
