Re: Multiple values returned or vararg expression in numeric for loop

[Martijn van Buul <martijn.van.buul@...>]

On 9/14/2012 9:59 AM, Egor Skriptunoff wrote:
> On 9/14/12, Coda Highland <chighland@gmail.com> wrote:
> > If Lua patterns were to hold, the syntax would be
> > "for <variable> = <exprlist> do"
> > rather than
> > "for <variable> = <expr>, <expr>[, <expr>] do".
> > /s/ Adam
>
> Why Lua uses the latter syntax, but not the former?

Because. I couldn't tell you. There's probably a reason for it.

> In fact, numeric "for" loop just accepts a usual list of values.

No, it does //not//. It may look like a list of values, but as others 
have told you, it really isn't. And yes, this is confusing. Again, if 
numeric "for" really "just accepts a usual list of values", the format 
would have to be

"for <variable> = <exprlist> do"

while it is

"for <variable> = <expr>, <expr>[, <expr>] do"

The syntax may as well have been

"for <variable> = <expr> $ <expr> [! <expr>] do"

without structurally changing the symantics.

> What is the reason for this syntax to be unlike it expected to be?

You're reversing the problem.