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From: nagler%orb@SUN.ARPA (Rob Nagler)
Newsgroups: net.lang.mod2
Subject: Re:  extensions, a modest proposal
Message-ID: <8602251623.AA03090@orb.sun.uucp>
Date: Tue, 25-Feb-86 11:23:23 EST
Article-I.D.: orb.8602251623.AA03090
Posted: Tue Feb 25 11:23:23 1986
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Infix arithmetic is an attempt to simulate mathematics (which we all
know computers don't do very well).  One could argue that the infix
operators should extend to arrays, but APL certainly has its readability
problems.  I like lisp, but M2 isn't Lisp.  There isn't much rational
for keeping infix operators except for history and pseudo-upward
compatibility.

Overloading.  Here is my main argument against overloading:

	Text_IO.Put( s );

is legal (if "s" is an array of char) and so is 

	Text_IO.Put( s[0] );

This is a particularly simple example, but you get the drift.  To me 
this eliminates the main feature of structured languages: type checking
(or assertion verification, if you like).  If you don't care about losing
type checking, then I suggest you program in something like Smalltalk or
Lisp.  Why do you think Wirth put BYTE (formerly, WORD) in the module 
SYSTEM?  It is a major loophole (which is how you can get your overloading
of prefix operators by the way).

Rob