Re: Ternary operator patch

[Drake Wilson <drake@...>]

Quoth Jonathan Castello <twisolar@gmail.com>, on 2010-09-12 15:56:05 -0700:
> Well...
> 
> --
> a = ({[true]=function() return 1 end, [false]=function() return 2
> end})[b ~= nil]()
> --

Let me provide an extra data point.  In a Lua variant I have sitting
around locally, I use a preprocessor that includes n-ary conditional
operator with equivalent syntax to the if/then/elseif/then/else/end
statement but with expressions instead of statements.  It converts the
expression as:

  if a then b elseif c then d else e end
  ==> _PP.expr_if((( a ) and _PP.expr_then( b ))
                  or (( c ) and _PP.expr_then( d ))
                  or (_PP.expr_then( e )) or nil)

except without the indentation.  expr_then is a support function that
converts nil and false into special light userdata and multiple values
into special tables, and expr_if does the converse.  This also permits
the use of

  if a then b, c elseif d then e, f else g end

and similar constructions.  I haven't tested for performance or
anything along those lines, though I'm reasonably sure the semantics
are sound.

   ---> Drake Wilson