Re: Why no numbers allowed in variables?

[David Kastrup]

Kieren MacMillan <address@hidden> writes:

> Hi David,
>
>> I can understand newcomers coming up with this proposal: LilyPond is
>> different to how most languages bar TeX treat numbers.  But it does
>> puzzle me to have the old hands cheer them on.
>
> Only because I’ve needed/wanted numbered variables literally thousands
> of times in the past 15 years of using Lilypond, whereas I’ve not even
> once ever needed/wanted
>
>    var = "foo"
>    \lyricmode { \var2 \var4 \var2 }
>
> So I’m cheering on the newbie-feature-requesters because this feature,
> if implemented, would markedly improve my life as an engraver, whereas
> the limitations that might be introduced would (as far as I can tell)
> have zero effect either way on my engraving needs.

The logic does not change every time you cheer, and you know the
perfectly viable alternatives.  So I don't really see the point in
setting up the newbies for disappointment.

-- 
David Kastrup