[swift-evolution] an observation on colons in variable type declarations

[Howard Lovatt]

I also find it odd that -> is used for return types instead of a :. My
favourite would be for = to be used for assigning to argument labels,
initialization of lets, and dictionary entries, : used for types, and ->
used for assignment to vars. IE:

   1. Defining: `func max(x1 x1: Int, x2: Int = 0): Int` instead of `func
   max(x1 x1: Int, x2: Int = 0) -> Int`
   2. Using: `let positive = max(x1 = -5)` instead of `let positive =
   max(x1: -5)`
   3. Assigning: `var 0 -> x; 1 +-> x` instead of `var x = 0; x += 1`
   4. Entries: `let dict = ["A" = 1, "B" = 2]` instead of `let dict = ["A"
   : 1, "B" : 2]`

However the current syntax, whilst inconsistent, is OK and therefore not
worth changing.

  -- Howard.

On 10 February 2016 at 09:45, Oliver M via swift-evolution <
swift-evolution at swift.org> wrote:

>
>    - A brief observation regarding variable type declarations
>    -
>    - I find the colon in variable type declarations a little odd.
>    - Consider the following:
>    -
>    - var welcomeMessage: String
>    -
>    - wouldn't this be cleaner simply written as
>    -
>    - var welcomeMessage String
>    -
>    -
>    - the documentation says to read the colon ':' as "of type" in such
>    situations
>    -
>    - but does the type "String" itself not imply 'of type String'
>    -
>    -
>    -
>    - Consider the colon in a function declaration:
>    -
>    - func sayHello(personName: String) {}
>    -
>    - I would read the portion within the brackets as:
>    - parameter named personName takes value of type String (because you
>    input values when calling functions)
>    - with the colon reading 'takes value' and "String" again reading 'of
>    type String'
>    -
>    -
>    -
>    - I find the colon ':' strongly associated with function input values,
>    and with associations [key:value pairs etc]
>    - but variables…you don't input anything and they are not inherently
>    associations.
>    -
>    -
>    - When coding half asleep I find myself compelled to input a value
>    wherever I see a ':' and I can see myself typing something really really
>    silly
>    -
>    - var myIndex: "Int"
>    - myIndex = 0
>
>
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