PROPOSAL: Multiline strings

[Joseph D. Darcy]

Ruslan,

This proposal is missing many important details.

rssh at gradsoft.com.ua wrote:
> AUTHOR(s): Ruslan Shevchenko
>
> OVERVIEW:
>  FEATURE SUMMARY:
>    add multiline strings to java language.
>  MAJOR ADVANTAGE:
>    Possibility more elegant to write code part of codes in other languages,
>   such as sql constructions or rendering of html components.
>  MAJOR DISADVANTAGE
>    I don't know
>  ALTERNATIVES:
>   use String "+=" operator.
>   using groovy instead java in utility classes.
>   

"This is \n" +
"an alternative \n" +
"too.\n"

As is

concat("If you save on \"\\n\",
            "you might still pay ",
            "with a comma.");

public static concat(String... args) {
  // concat args together separated by newlines
}

> EXAMPLES
>
> SIMPLE EXAMPLE:
>
>   StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
>   sb.append("""select a from Area a, CountryCodes cc
>                 where
>                    cc.isoCode='UA'
>                   and
>                    a.owner = cc.country
>               """);
>   if (question.getAreaName()!=null) {
>      sb.append("""and
>                   a.name like ?
>                """);
>      sqlParams.setString(++i,question.getAreaName());
>   }
>
>  instead:
>   StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
>   sb.append("select a from Area a, CountryCodes cc\n");
>   sb.append("where cc.isoCode='UA'\n");
>   sb.append("and a.owner=cc.country'\n");
>   if (question.getAreaName()!=null) {
>      sb.append("and a.name like ?");
>      sqlParams.setString(++i,question.getAreaName());
>   }
>
>
> DETAILS:
>   Multiline strings are part of program text, which begin and ends
>  by three double quotes. (as in groovy and scala) Text withing such
>  brackets processed as multiline string with all rulles as normal Java
>  string literals, except it can be multiline. After parsing multiline
>  string is concatenation of lines with inserted value of system property
> 'line.separator' between thems.
>   

What are the grammar changes?

Is are three consecutive quote characters escaped in a multi-line string?

As has been mentioned in earlier responses, how is whitespace handed?

> COMPILATION:
>  Multiline strings created and used in .class files exactly as ordinary
> strings.
>   

What is the desugaring?

Regards,

-Joe

> TESTING:
>  Nothing special. add multiline strings to test-cases.
>
> LIBRARY SUPPORT:
>  None.
>  (May be exists sence add simple template processing to standard library, but
>   I think this is goal of next janguage iteration. Now exists many good
> external
>   frameworks, such as velocity: better wait and standartize support of
> winner)
>
> REFLECTIVE APIS: None
>
> OTHER CHANGES: None
>
> MIGRATION: None
>
> COMPABILITY
>  None
>
> REFERENCES
>
>  http://bugs.sun.com/view_bug.do?bug_id=4165111
>
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