Re: Looking for new language features (re-elaboration)

Randall Hyde <rhyde@cs.ucr.edu>
23 Sep 2000 14:51:11 -0400

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Related articles
[7 earlier articles]
Re: Looking for new language features (re-elaboration) joachim_d@gmx.de (Joachim Durchholz) (2000-09-17)
Re: Looking for new language features (re-elaboration) vbdis@aol.com (2000-09-17)
Re: Looking for new language features (re-elaboration) Martin.Ward@durham.ac.uk (2000-09-21)
Re: Looking for new language features (re-elaboration) genew@shuswap.net (2000-09-21)
Re: Looking for new language features (re-elaboration) joachim_d@gmx.de (Joachim Durchholz) (2000-09-21)
Re: Looking for new language features (re-elaboration) etoffi@bigfoot.com (2000-09-21)
Re: Looking for new language features (re-elaboration) rhyde@cs.ucr.edu (Randall Hyde) (2000-09-23)
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From: Randall Hyde <rhyde@cs.ucr.edu>
Newsgroups: comp.compilers
Date: 23 Sep 2000 14:51:11 -0400
Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com
References: 00-08-130 00-09-048 00-09-075 00-09-086 00-09-096
Keywords: design

> Or are there "wish lists" of things that people would like to see in
> langauges?


True iterators (ala Clu or Metaware Pascal). Don't even try to pass
off those things that C++ calls iterators (which are really "cursors")
for this feature.


Computed GOTO (just like FORTRAN). Great for writing interpreters and
state machines (case/switch just isn't the right solution here).


Pass by name (i.e., lazy evaluation) parameters, as well as pass by
value, reference, and value-returned.


Functions and procedures must be 1st class objects.


Strong macro processing facilities (Yes, I must dredge that one up again).


Built-in pattern matching ala SNOBOL4 or Icon.


Heck, throw in SETL's set handling capabilities too :-)


A declarative statement that handles events would be nice; something
like "ON event DO <<statement sequence>> end;"


Definitely the ability to work at low, high, and very high levels
of abstraction (why should I have to drop into assembly language
or do part of the project in Prolog if this is a great language?)


Have we gotten to PL/I yet? :-)
Randy Hyde
[While it's at it, I'd like the compiler to determine whether the program
halts or not. -John]





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