Re: Task DSL

> On Thu, 2009-05-14 at 08:10 +0200, Hans Dockter wrote:
> [ . . . ]
>>> a list, etc.  Used in that context it is idiomatic.  Used simply to
>>> replace a call of a method that doesn't have inserter semantics,  
>>> it is
>>> probably a bad thing to do.
>>
>> Could you explain a bit more what you mean with the last sentence?
>
> The analogy is basically that << should never replace assignment or a
> named action other than append if it is to be being used  
> idiomatically.
> So
>
>        x = [ ]
>        x << a
>
> is fine since the semantics are inserter semantics, the value a is  
> being
> appended to x; << replaced append:
>
>        x.append ( a )
>
> If << simply replaces a non appending method call then it is being  
> used
> outside its idiomatic meaning and so will lead to misreading of
> programs.
>
> doFirst and doLast are appending methods, they append new actions to  
> the
> hook.  So << has a natural position somewhere here.  The question is
> whether it should replace doFirst or doLast.  The problem is that it
> cannot be used with both, it can only be used with one.  The doubt  
> leads
> to a cogent argument that perhaps it shouldn't be used with either.
>
> Ambiguity leads to ambivalence :-(