[erlang-questions] eep: multiple patterns

[Andras Georgy Bekes]

Hi,

> I agree with Richard O'Keefe that having = as a legal guard 
> test is a Good Thing.
>
> - if match succeeds it returns true and binds any unbound variables
> - if match fails, it returns false, i.e. it does generate an error
>
> Then you modify all boolean operations so that if they succeed,
> return true, then any new variables which are bound in them are
> exported, while if they fail, return false, no variables are
> exported.
>
> - This will work for the whole guard as if the guard fails then no
> variables are exported but the clause is not chosen anyway.
> - No problems with not(...) as it will never export variables.
> - Same with other boolean operators, success implies export. This
> makes checking for variable bindings in and after guards relatively
> easy.
>
> As far as I can see there are no problems with this.

I think there is a problem. I think I can express a pattern that's 
matching must involve backtracking:

F(A1,A2...) when ({X,_}=A1 or {_,X}=A1) and ({X,_}=A2 ...

So this proposal leads to a language that's too powerful :-(
Just like my very original proposal [1].
The problem with it is discussed [2] through [3].

> Actually thinking about it a bit more if you allow = in guards you
> really don't *need* this multiple pattern feature as you can express
> it as alternate guards.
The "problem" is that this not only makes multiple patterns unnecessary, 
but also the whole "Pattern when Guards" stuff (i.e. the part before 
the 'when' keyword).

	Georgy


References:

[1]:
http://www.erlang.org/pipermail/erlang-questions/2008-March/033718.html

[2]: 
http://www.erlang.org/pipermail/erlang-questions/2008-March/033755.html

[3]:
http://www.erlang.org/pipermail/erlang-questions/2008-March/033799.html