Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!newstop!texsun!convex!convex.COM
From: tchrist@convex.COM (Tom Christiansen)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl
Subject: Re: can we ever compile perl?
Message-ID: <110797@convex.convex.com>
Date: 12 Dec 90 14:02:01 GMT
References: <9592:Dec920:40:5190@kramden.acf.nyu.edu> <110306@convex.convex.com> <1990Dec12.064530.22356@cs.ubc.ca>
Sender: usenet@convex.com
Reply-To: tchrist@convex.COM (Tom Christiansen)
Organization: CONVEX Software Development, Richardson, TX
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In article <1990Dec12.064530.22356@cs.ubc.ca> pphillip@cs.ubc.ca (Peter Phillips) writes:

:There are other common uses for eval, like simulating references.

:I think with the right modifications, most uses of eval could be
:eliminated.  Perhaps the greatest and wisest perl hackers should
:get together, examine their scripts which use eval, and decide
:what reasonable extensions to perl would eliminate 90% of the
:use for eval.

Yes, although I think in many cases you can use the *foo notation,
and it will be faster, too.  I hope that wouldn't be barred as 
well, as it's far too useful.

Two other reasons for using eval are for dynamic formats and
for the creatures that hp2h creates, although as I show in h2pl,
these can often be reduced.

Plus don't forget that s///e counts as an eval also.

Let's keep a list here.  I also suspect that there'll be a fair number
of perl hackers at USENIX next month.  More at the end than at the
beginning if I have anything to do with it. :-)

--tom
--
Tom Christiansen		tchrist@convex.com	convex!tchrist
"With a kernel dive, all things are possible, but it sure makes it hard
 to look at yourself in the mirror the next morning."  -me