Re: Keywords

[Nilson <nilson.brazil@...>]

>>> When Lua parses a chunk (or module), the first time it found a
>> "flexword" will define the way that it will be used in ** that **
>> chunk (or module), as a ident or as a keyword. Trying to change the
>> mode inside the chunk generate an error.
>
> Honestly, this gives me the creeps... so you propose that the meaning of a keyword is dependent on semantic context? Whoa... considering that you intend the OO patch to be used by people who are challenged by the dot/colon distinction, I can hardly see them cope with this. It would be great for writing seriously obfuscated lua code, though :)
>

"Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those others
that have been tried."
- Winston Churchil

See...  I agree with you. I also do not like variable semantics. It
makes the code harder to understand.

But what is the alternative? Never add a new and semantically
expressive keyword into the grammar to avoid break the existent
libraries and user code?

IMHO, without a compromised solution, the language can be trapped by
their own words (keywords) and success (lot of existent code). Perhaps
the question is what it should give up to have the freedom to grow
again. Some kind of damage controlled solution.

Well, as I am not an expert, there may be a better solution that I
can't see. But - I'm not doing a challenge - does someone have or know
a better solution?

Cheers,
Nilson