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From: lang@zeta.PRC.Unisys.COM (Francois-Michel Lang)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.misc
Subject: Re: Origin of the term "syntactic sugar"
Keywords: syntax
Message-ID: <8229@burdvax.PRC.Unisys.COM>
Date: 7 Nov 88 19:36:20 GMT
References: <444@grand.UUCP>
Sender: news@PRC.Unisys.COM
Organization: Unisys Corporation, Paoli Research Center; Paoli, PA
Lines: 15

In article <444@grand.UUCP> day@grand.UUCP (Dave Yost) writes:
>
>Does anyone know the origin of the term "syntactic sugar"?
>
> --dave yost

Abelson & Sussman, in "Structure and Interpretation
of Computer Programs", attribute the term "syntactic sugar"
to Peter Landin.  The reference (in my copy) is in a footnote
on page 10.  That footnote also quotes Alan Perlis:
"Syntactic sugar causes cancer of the semicolon".

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Francois-Michel Lang
Paoli Research Center, Unisys Corporation lang@prc.unisys.com (215) 648-7256
Dept of Comp & Info Science, U of PA      lang@cis.upenn.edu  (215) 898-9511