Subject:
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Re: Backwards Compatibility (Was Calling all Meta-commands)
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.cad.dev
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Date:
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Sun, 16 Mar 2003 16:04:01 GMT
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Viewed:
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4593 times
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In lugnet.cad.dev, Dan Boger writes:
> On Sun, Mar 16, 2003 at 03:44:08PM +0000, Tim Courtney wrote:
> > > > If non-programmers think the braces make it too difficult to enter by hand,
> > > > I'm comfortable with not having them, and just using 0 META to specify
> > > > meta-commands.
> > >
> > > I'm sorry, I can't understand why it's "too difficult" to enter {} by
> > > hand. It's on the standard keyboard. The people who actually edit
> > > stuff by hand have the requirement of knowing how to use a keyboard :)
> > > I mean, when SMTP format was design, you think they were worried that
> > > people will have a hard time typing "@"? *grin*
> >
> > I know how to use a keyboard. I'm talking convenience on the part of someone
> > editing by hand. {} isn't necessary, so why add it to the mix?
>
> Exactly because it's not likely to be used, ever, by mistake. Anyone
> can put whatever comments they like in a dat, right? So if I write a
> dat, and want to enter
>
> 0 METAL RAIL STARTS HERE
>
> and typo it into
>
> 0 META LRAIL STARTS HERE
>
> (which is a common mistake for me)
>
> suddenly, my comment is going to be parsed as a meta command! While I
> hope that no program will actually understand what the LRAIL
> meta-command is, programs that do understand (and show) comments would
> ignore this line - it's not a comment, it's a meta command.
>
> By adding the {}, we ensure that a mistake like this just couldn't
> happen. Or at least very unlikely to happen.
>
> Just my $0.02
>
> :)
Points taken :-) And ultimately, I'm not going to be involved in making the
decision, since I won't be volunteering for the standards body [1]. Just
getting in my .02 here while I can ;-)
-Tim
[1] I don't have the knowledge to discuss some issues likely to come up - so
I really don't belong there. I'd like to help guide the establishment of
this body for the sake of seeing it happen, though.
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