Re: 4GL language design, was Writing a recursive descent parser in C

>> Then there was OCCAM, where indentation determines block
>> structure. I've never haad a chance to try this, and I'm not sure how
>> to implement it, but it looks like a nice idea. In most cases the
>> programmer indents, but the compiler ignores it and uses other
>> signs. Inevitably, the programmer and the compiler disagree.
>>
> I have heard Python also does this.


Python does indeed rely on indentation as syntax.


I found that when I first started using it, this was slightly
difficult to get used to, but only because I have come to rely so
heavily on Emacs doing my indentations for me (actually, that's when I
realized how dependent I had become). But very quickly--less than an
hour--I found it to be natural and not a problem. In fact, I think
most experienced programmers use indentation anyway, and the only
difference is if the compiler insists on it or not, so adjustment
simply isn't that much of a problem.


rajat

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