Re: L2: Lua compiler in the works

[David Jones <drj@...>]

On 20 Nov 2007, at 09:40, Miles Bader wrote:
> I suppose an important adjunct to a Lua compiler would be a way for
> program writers to add annotations declaring their intent about such
> things (e.g.  common-lisp's "declare" special-form).

I have thought so for a long time (in fact I think every language  
should have something similar to Common Lisp's "declare"), and  
occasionally I try and think of Lua-like ways of adding it to the  
core language.  To me it seems like the best candidate for a new  
language feature.  A declaration feature that is extensible in a way  
that language processors (like the PUC-Rio compiler, documentation  
tools, test harnesses) can invent declarations for their own use, but  
can still tell when they come across a mandatory declaration that  
they don't understand (so that they can bail).  Like critical chunks  
in PNG.

drj