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Re: Indirect object syntax

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From:
Glenn Golden
Date:
May 20, 2016 12:43
Subject:
Re: Indirect object syntax
Message ID:
20160520124317.GD20863@huh.zplane.com
Abigail <abigail@abigail.be> [2016-05-20 14:16:10 +0200]:
> On Fri, May 20, 2016 at 10:32:37AM +0000, Ed Avis wrote:
> > I see that there is a general consensus that indirect object syntax is
> > discouraged and should be removed from documentation examples.  It is time
> > to revisit Kent Fredric's proposal at
> > <http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.lang.perl.perl5.porters/128189>?
> > 
> 
> 
> While I don't favour indirect objection notation (other than print),
> I'm weary of eliminating documentation about it. Documentation isn't
> just to learn on how to code something, it's also very useful to
> understand someone elses code.
> 
> There's still too much code out there which uses
> 
>     $obj = new Some::Class;
> 
> to throw indirect object notation documentation out of the window.
> (For a long time, we told people that this was the way to create a
> new object)
> 
> By all means, document the disadvantages of using indirect object
> notation, but don't deprive people from their means to understand
> existing code.
> 

+1.  Doc for existing (even though discouraged) idioms should be maintained
for quite some time, years imo.

As an example: It was beneficial for me (as Resident Moron on the list here,
non-expert user) to have come across doc references to the old deprecated
Pkg'Name() notation, pointing out that it was no longer in use and 
saying a few words about its history.


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