Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!Teknowledge.COM!unix!garth!smryan
From: smryan@garth.UUCP (Steven Ryan)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: Request for Comments: Aggregate Assignment in C ...
Message-ID: <32@garth.UUCP>
Date: 19 Dec 90 19:04:39 GMT
References: <77546@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu>
Reply-To: smryan@garth.UUCP (Steven Ryan)
Organization: INTERGRAPH (APD) -- Palo Alto, CA
Lines: 28

>my_vec.a = 4; my_vec.c = 7; /* etc. */
>
>We submit that a better way of doing this would be to allow a  .  .  .
>
>my_vec = {4,, 7};

As I live and breathe--structure displays again, and after only 22 years.

Two points to consider:

(1) Can you handle single element structures? When Ada tried, they really
    screwed it up, even though a quick perusal of Algol 68 would have
    pointed this out early in the game.

(2) The mode of of structure display cannot be synthesised: given the
    types of the elements, you cannot generally determine the structure.
    In Algol a structure display can only occur in strong position. (A
    not-so-quick perusal of Algol will point out the dangers here.)

And for Ritchie's sake [*], don't screw up this ripof--err--borrowing the
same way +:= was screwed up to =+.
__________________________________________________
* I apologise to those who are offended by taking
the Lord's name in vain, bit I do get a teensy bit
irritated some times.
-- 
...!uunet!ingr!apd!smryan                                       Steven Ryan
...!{apple|pyramid}!garth!smryan              2400 Geng Road, Palo Alto, CA