[Axiom-developer] Re: help function (Waldek Hebisch)

[Themos Tsikas]

I take the evolutionary approach: if it was A Good Idea it would have been 
copied by now. 

Best Regards 
Themos Tsikas

> From: Waldek Hebisch <address@hidden>

> When I began to use Axiom closing parenthesis looked pointless and
> obscure to me.  Now I can see reasons for using closing parenthesis
> and I think it is both obscure and ingenious.  It is ingenious
> largely because of obscurity -- closing parenthesis at the
> beginning of the line rarely conflicts with other uses.  However
> it is confusing at least for computer literate people -- we
> are trained that parenthesis should always match.  It may
> be confusing for programs: once you put system command in
> a file simple editor functions to show matching parenthesis
> will behave strangely.
>
> Also, we have at least on bug report where closing parenthesis
> is user input is wrongly read as system command.  And there
> are subtle differences between input taken from standard
> input, input read via read command and Shoe (old Boot and
> Spad use the same handler so they should be compatible).

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