Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site uscvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!ittvax!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!uscvax!tli 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 Csnet: tli@usc-cse.csnet Arpa: tli@usc-ecl