Re: GNU eqn clarifications and reforms (was: EQN - special words)

[Damian McGuckin]

On Fri, 9 Jun 2023, G. Branden Robinson wrote:

> At 2023-06-09T22:15:41+1000, Damian McGuckin wrote:
> > Also remember that
> >
> >         left {
> >         right }
> >
> > removes the special meaning from the braces, i.e. as a way to group
> > multiple things into what can then be treated as a single thing. In
> > that context, those braces are also then no longer delimiters.
>
> Argh!  How annoying (for a couple of reasons).  I managed to not know
> that, overlook wherever K&C said it was the case, and not word my eqn(1)
> revisions so as to capture it.
>
> I think in pedagogial examples, we should train eqn writers to always
> quote braces they mean to use as symbols, even in context where the
> grammar makes it unnecessary.  I find this semantic rule, where braces
> get de-powered by a preceding primitive, perverse.

I believe that

        left "{"

is identical functionally to

        left {

and the same sort of thing for 'right'.

Maybe those left and right braces started out as quote but people just 
used the form without quotes because it was shorter and the grammer 
allowed it (or the way the grammer was implemented it still worked).

> Guess I'll be pushing another eqn man page change.  Thanks for bringing
> it to my attention.

Every now and again I have a word or two of wisdom.  I wish it happened
more often!!

Thanks - Damian

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