Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ecsvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!mcnc!ecsvax!dgary From: dgary@ecsvax.UUCP (D Gary Grady) Newsgroups: net.lang.c Subject: Re: "C" wish list. Message-ID: <665@ecsvax.UUCP> Date: Thu, 31-Oct-85 10:43:45 EST Article-I.D.: ecsvax.665 Posted: Thu Oct 31 10:43:45 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 2-Nov-85 06:09:32 EST References: <335@graffiti.UUCP> <895@rlvd.UUCP> <742@mmintl.UUCP> Organization: Duke U Comp Ctr Lines: 21 > > 5. There are various parts of the syntax that I don't like: > > 2. ;'s as statement terminators, I prefer the algol statement > > separator. > > I disagree; I prefer ;'s as statement terminators. Trying to look at it > objectively, I can see very little reason to prefer one or the other. I have read several places (sorry I can't come up with a specific reference) that beginning programmers seem to have far less trouble with semicolons at the ends of statments than between statements. This is borne out by my own experience teaching novices. I expect the reason is that they view statements as sentences, and we all learn early on that one puts a mark at the end of a sentence. One might argue that we also learn that semicolons separate rather than terminate clauses, but you must understand that the average student hasn't the foggiest notion what a semicolon is for (he observed with well-earned cynicism). -- D Gary Grady Duke U Comp Center, Durham, NC 27706 (919) 684-3695 USENET: {seismo,decvax,ihnp4,akgua,etc.}!mcnc!ecsvax!dgary