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From: tli@uscvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.lang
Subject: Re: Alternative Structures
Message-ID: <1318@uscvax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 20-Dec-84 03:31:54 EST
Article-I.D.: uscvax.1318
Posted: Thu Dec 20 03:31:54 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 22-Dec-84 01:51:23 EST
References: <8900018@uiucdcsb.UUCP> <18218@lanl.ARPA>
Organization: CS&CE Depts, U.S.C., Los Angeles, CA
Lines: 24

> > Is there any reason that case can not be used to contain semantic
> > information?
> 
> There is no reason other than general inconvenience.  It would make a
> nice convention if properly used, but when TREE differs from TREe, which
> differs from TReE, etc.  I can get pretty nasty.  I once had this argument
> before, and I pointed out the the difference in case is not really distinct
> from other differences between letters.  Suppose, for example, you had a
> terminal capable of color I/O.  Should a red T be distinct from a blue one
> which is different from a green one...?
> 
> The thing is, it's not really necessary for case to be distinguished, and
> it can make code unreadable if it is adopted.

Modula-2, an otherwise beautiful language, enforces case distinction on 
identifiers (TREE <> TREe).  Further, all keywords must be in UPPER CASE.  I 
find this painful and bothersome.

Sigh.
-- 
Tony Li ;-)		Usc Computer Science
Uucp: {sdcrdcf,randvax}!uscvax!tli
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