[ string literals ] Extending the escape language (was: String literals: some principles)

[James Laskey]

Sent from my iPhone

> On May 8, 2019, at 5:31 PM, Guy Steele <guy.steele at oracle.com> wrote:
> 
> 
>> On May 8, 2019, at 4:27 PM, John Rose <john.r.rose at oracle.com> wrote:
>> 
>> On May 8, 2019, at 1:26 PM, Guy Steele <guy.steele at oracle.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> On May 7, 2019, at 6:14 PM, Brian Goetz <brian.goetz at oracle.com> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> . . . at the end of the line, one cannot differentiate between \<eol> and \<space> when reading the code.
>>> 
>>> This suggests a design constraint for the ESL: whatever \<eol> means, \<horizontal space><eol> ought to mean the same thing.
>> 
>> Or else \<hspace>+<eol> is illegal.
>> In other words, there shouldn't be
>> more than one non-error meaning.
> 
> True.  Then there are the separate questions of (a) whether it is less confusing to Joe Programmer to accept \<eol> but reject \<hspace>+<eol>, or to make \<hspace>+<eol> “just work”, and (b) what are costs of making \<hspace>+<eol> “just work”.
> 

Explaining to Joe Programmer might be the main cost.