Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!cs.utexas.edu!husc6!spdcc!esegue!compilers-sender From: codex!peterd@uunet.UU.NET (Peter Desnoyers) Newsgroups: comp.compilers Subject: Re: Semicolons (Re: Low-Rent Syntax) Keywords: parse, design, CLU Message-ID: <253@hluchyj_node.UUCP> Date: 20 Aug 90 22:30:08 GMT References: <1990Aug12.205529.11691@esegue.segue.boston.ma.us> <1990Aug13.214001.16423@esegue.segue.boston.ma.us> Sender: compilers-sender@esegue.segue.boston.ma.us Reply-To: codex!peterd@uunet.UU.NET (Peter Desnoyers) Organization: Codex Corp., Canton MA Lines: 23 Approved: compilers@esegue.segue.boston.ma.us bart@videovax.tv.tek.com (Bart Massey) writes: >In article <1990Aug12.205529.11691@esegue.segue.boston.ma.us> Stephen D. Clamage writes: >> There has been some discussion about *how* to design languages which do >> not need semicolons to separate or end statements. No one has brought up >> why you would want to. >... >> Finally, beginning programmers are going to make all kinds of errors, for >> all kinds of reasons. For more-experienced programmers, are semicolon >> errors a real problem -- as big as other kinds of syntax errors? I'd say >> no. My experience in with CLU as an undergraduate was that terminating statements with a semicolon is a good thing, as it makes it easier for a parser to detect errors quickly and accurately. My impression was that a syntax error would cause the parser to trip up somewhere in the middle of the next page :-) (slightly exaggerated, but the combination of a permissive grammar and a non-industrial-grade compiler made for difficult detection of errors.) Peter Desnoyers -- Send compilers articles to compilers@esegue.segue.boston.ma.us {ima | spdcc | world}!esegue. Meta-mail to compilers-request@esegue.