[erlang-questions] lists:reverse/1 as a built-in function

[Erlang list]

Robert Virding wrote:
 > We also had another idea which I really liked: split the predefined
 > module 'erlang' into a number of predefined modules like process,
 > atom, number, .... And some left in erlang. These modules would be
 > like todays erlang in that they would be part of the language and
 > specially treated. I hink the result would be easier to handle that
 > the wopping great erlang of today. Alas some worried about
 > backwards incompatibility if people had there own modules with the
 > same names.

What about also adding in module aliases at the same time?  If you had
-alias(mypkg, erlang). as a way of saying that mypkg:* is an alias
for erlang:* you might help or avoid a lot of migration issues.
Alternatively, you could have compiler switches instead.

There are two prior art data points to consider here.  C++ namespaces,
although they lack access control, can be aliased:

     namespace lib=lib_2007_01_21;

which allows for shorthand names or for migration issues.  The other
point is that Java uses by convention a company's domain name as the
package suffix.  This is fine until your company gets bought (or a
project is open sourced or otherwise moved) when code that works now
needs to be changed because of package naming issues.  An alias in
Java would help a lot.

-- 
Hubert Matthews         http://www.oxyware.com/
Software Consultant     hubert@REDACTED