[fpc-pascal] "is"

[Marco van de Voort]

> the main thing.
> 
> As far as I understand the proposal the main point for this construct is 
> the use in iterable container classes (implementing a certain 
> interface). And there it can show it's advantages (or what I think that 
> are advantages):
> 
> Instead of a very longish (syntax made up just now):
> 
> var
>    x : IIterable;
>    someCollection : TSomeCollection;
>    elem : TSomeElement;
> 
> [...]
> x := (someCollection as IIterable).initIterator();
> while (x.hasNextElement()) do begin
> 	elem := (x.nextElement() as TSomeElement).next();
> 
> 	<< do something with elem >>
> end;
> x.doneIterator();
> [...]
> 
> you could write:
> 
> x : TSomeElement;
> someCollection : TSomeCollection;
> 
> [...]
> foreach elem in someCollection do begin
> 	<< do something with elem >>
> end;
> [...]

True, BUT... hmm, I actually have 3 BUTS

BUT 1: some form shorter syntax can be thought up for _each_ _and_
_every_ construct. That is the danger of syntactic sugar, it always looks
tempting as a shorthand. However if you indulge in it, you get Perl. If there
is a valid normal construct, and that is not extremely larger, than you
don't need it.

BUT 2: The whole purpose of iterators is that you can have multiple orders
on the same object, and get a different iterator to get a different order.
The syntax does not allow this. Typical ss.

BUT 3: I myself currently use iterators at work (modeled after decal,
except without the variant-interface stuff, because of performance) and
your example looks overly verbose;

var iter:dlightmapiterator;

iter:=lightmapstartiter(collection);
while lightmapiterateover(iter) do
 << do something with getobject(iter)>>
// no finalisation of iter necessary.
 
Is this so bad ? I don't see the problem

> which is imo far easier to read. (Please don't mind the word "foreach", 
> I think it's only because it's already used in other languages for that 
> purposes).

IMHO it sucks. Write a code template for your IDE if you really want to 
spare out those 10 key strokes.