Re: [PHP-DEV] Re: [PHP-LANG] Re: [PHP-DEV] Re: [PHP-LANG] Approaching the First Draft [of a language spec] From: Andi Gutmans (andi <email protected>)
Date: 11/21/00

BTW, most standards have examples for most things.

Andi

At 05:42 PM 11/20/00 -0800, Rasmus Lerdorf wrote:
> > I don't think though that the immediate target here should be
> > the end-user. Let's define the semantics clearly and
> > unambigously. We can add user-level descriptions later.
>
>I don't care about the sequence. If you feel more comfortable only
>writing the syntactical semantics part, fine. But before we unleash this
>thing even as a first draft, it needs to have end-user readable stuff. I
>mean, in my little example, there is additional information in the
>explanation that I don't know how to describe using BNF. I mean, how
>would you describe this:
>
> while(bool) expr1; expr2;
>
>vs.
>
> while(bool): expr1; expr2; endwhile;
>
>In the first case expr2 is not executed within the loop and in the second
>case it is. There probably is some way to indicate in the BNF that the :
>syntax implies statement grouping, but chances are it would be easy for
>someone to misinterpret that and having a little note that goes along with
>the BNF that clarifies this with an example is not just catering to the
>end user, it is also for the compiler weenie. We are all end users when
>it comes down to it and something can never be made too clear.
>
>-Rasmus
>
>
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---
Andi Gutmans <andi <email protected>>
http://www.zend.com/

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