Subj : Re: ECMAScript standards committee
To   : =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Georg_Maa=DF?=
From : Brendan Eich
Date : Mon Oct 11 2004 08:58 pm

Georg Maaß wrote:

> JavaScript 1.5 from 1999 wasn't less stable than JavaScript 1.5 is 
> today. It just was different.


I think that's demonstrably false, and I can cite many fixed, old crash 
bugs as evidence.


>> I disagree. This is where many newcomers to C++ get confused and make 
>> mistakes.
> 
> 
> There is no reason for confusion, because a newbe won't use stuff he 
> doesn't know. Auto casts are much more confusing (causing unexpected 
> behaviours) than multiple equal named functions with simply using 
> different parameters.


Newbies may use stuff unintentionally.  Newbies who fancy themselves 
expert tend to use sharp tools they ought not, and lose fingers and 
toes.  C++'s practical history is full of such tragedies.


  >> Local scopes seem nice, but case-dependent reserved words would make
>> it very difficult to learn to read JS code.
> 
> 
> What do you mean with "case dependent reserved words"? Where do we have 
> those? We does JS 2.0 suggest them?


Shanti was referring to your "Var" example, which of course was not a 
serious proposal.

/be

.