#34543 [NEW]: Improving usability by redefining use of semicolon as statement separator

From: douglas dot s dot green at gmail dot com Operating system: Any PHP version: 5.0.5 PHP Bug Type: Feature/Change Request Bug description: Improving usability by redefining use of semicolon as statement separator Description: ------------ The semicolon as a statement separator has usability issues in general (not just for PHP, for all languages that use this method). First of all, it is 99% redundant. In almost all the code I have ever seen, there is a one-statement-per-line norm. The rare exception is when multiple statements are put on one line (almost no one ever does this and it is discouraged) and when a single statement is continued to multiple lines (this happens rather more often). So if you have a 10,000 statement program (excluding blocks or whatever), you must remember to place 10,000 semicolons. Lack of any one of those 10,000 semicolons can cause the program not to run because of a syntax error. All this just so that in 1% of cases, a statement can be put on multiple lines without the use of a continuation operator. So you are spending 10,000 to save 100. It seems to me that an alternate syntax could be developed that dispenses with semicolons as separator, and uses a continuation operator instead to signal the presence of multiple lines, something like >>. Reproduce code: --------------- // This example does not show a BUG, it merely demonstrates a proposed FEATURE using code from this site class Exception { protected $message = 'Unknown exception' // exception message protected $code = 0 // user defined exception code protected $file // source filename of exception protected $line // source line of exception function __construct($message = null, >> $code = 0); final function getMessage() // message of exception final function getCode() // code of exception final function getFile() // source filename final function getLine() // source line final function getTrace() // an array of the backtrace() final function getTraceAsString() // formated string of trace /* Overrideable */ function __toString() // formated string for display } Expected result: ---------------- Beginning PHP programmers get happy because they do not have to look at obscure error messages that really mean a semicolon is missing. Actual result: -------------- Beginning programmers waste 30 minutes staring at their code trying to figure out where the semicolons should go. Repeat times infinity. -- Edit bug report at http://bugs.php.net/?id=34543&edit=1 -- Try a CVS snapshot (php4): http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34543&r=trysnapshot4 Try a CVS snapshot (php5.0): http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34543&r=trysnapshot50 Try a CVS snapshot (php5.1): http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34543&r=trysnapshot51 Fixed in CVS: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34543&r=fixedcvs Fixed in release: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34543&r=alreadyfixed Need backtrace: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34543&r=needtrace Need Reproduce Script: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34543&r=needscript Try newer version: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34543&r=oldversion Not developer issue: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34543&r=support Expected behavior: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34543&r=notwrong Not enough info: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34543&r=notenoughinfo Submitted twice: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34543&r=submittedtwice register_globals: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34543&r=globals PHP 3 support discontinued: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34543&r=php3 Daylight Savings: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34543&r=dst IIS Stability: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34543&r=isapi Install GNU Sed: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34543&r=gnused Floating point limitations: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34543&r=float No Zend Extensions: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34543&r=nozend MySQL Configuration Error: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34543&r=mysqlcfg