Conversation started Aug 21, 2021 at 4:48.
AviFS
AviFS
Aug 21, 2021 04:48
!IMPORTANT
First-class comments means comments can be assigned to variables, passed as parameters to functions, and returned from functions.
In other words, everything that you can do with a number or a string in Python, you should be able to do with comments in this language
That is, if we're going to follow the theme strictly
!</IMPORTANT>
PyGamer0
PyGamer0
oh
AviFS
AviFS
I'm clarifying that because there's hardly any ideas, if at all, in the list that seem to do that:
PyGamer0
PyGamer0
so parsing would be like a separate comment object
AviFS
AviFS
gist.github.com/AMiller42/fd89a8f75c92573f3b391d85b39e9108
And clearly the other team didn't realize either
Or whoever/whatever GPT-3 is
Right, comments should be an type native to the language
and you should be able to assign them, and return/pass in functions
Again, assuming we should interpret the theme literally
It's unclear how rigid the theme is
But that's what being a first-class object is
That's why, for instance, it's such a big deal that "LISP/Haskell has first-class functions"
Aka, "functional langs have first-class functions"
Nowadays, functions are close enough to first class in most scripting langs, like Python/Ruby
But that's a big deal coming from something like C/COBOL/PASCAL
So another way to think about it is that comments should be more native to our language, than functions are to C
AviFS
AviFS
Namely, you can't pass functions as parameters to other functions in those langs. Or return them from functions. (Higher-order functions)
AviFS
AviFS
Aug 21, 2021 04:57
Summing up: As I see it, our challenge is basically to have another string-y type which we're calling comments. But to have them somehow be different enough from strings that they're still interesting. And to have them still feel like comments, even though they're now a meaningful part of the language. We want to somehow preserve the spirit of comments, despite having them act more like strings.
AviFS
AviFS
Done ranting! Now must go to bed. Sorry I missed the beginning.
Go team us!!
PyGamer0
PyGamer0
o/
ok so comments are separate objects
which can be used like other objects
AviFS
AviFS
Right, but again, that's what it technically means to be a first-class citizen
It's looking like a lot of teams may not actually do it literally, so it may not end up being enforced
PyGamer0
PyGamer0
but how do we make the comment object interesting
also the comment should be delimeted by \\* and `*\`
AviFS
AviFS
I don't want us to blindly stick to the definition because I said so, and then have everyone else do other things, and then me=in-trouble, haha
 
Conversation ended Aug 21, 2021 at 5:03.