Hacker News with Generative AI: Syntax

What does f(x) mean in C++? (biowpn.github.io)
It is universally agreed that C++ is a complex language. One reason is that its syntax is highly overloaded, meaning that the same code could mean many different things. Let’s do a simple mental exersice by considering the following code:

C++, Programming, Syntax, Code, Programming Languages

6 points by linkdd 10 days ago | 1 comments

Is `(expession, lvalue) = rvalue` a valid assignment in C or C++? (stackoverflow.com)
Some time ago I stumbled upon the idea of how a C construct, such as (expr0, expr1, expr2), evaluates (see "What does the comma operator , do?" for more context).

Programming, C, C++, Syntax, Language Features

37 points by susam 12 days ago | 13 comments

Zig's (.{}){} Syntax (openmymind.net)
One of the first pieces of Zig code that you're likely to see, and write, is this beginner-unfriendly line:

Zig, Programming Languages, Syntax

245 points by todsacerdoti 18 days ago | 164 comments

Rust's Most Subtle Syntax (zkrising.com)
Rust’s most subtle syntax is that constants, themselves, are patterns.

Rust, Programming Languages, Syntax

52 points by todsacerdoti 20 days ago | 14 comments

That's now valid syntax in Python 3.13 (reddit.com)
There are a few changes that didn't get much attention in the last releases, and one of them is that comprehensions and lambdas can now be used in annotations (the place where you put type hints).

Python, Programming Languages, Syntax, Type Hints

6 points by sametmax 29 days ago | 1 comments

The Ultimate Conditional Syntax (dl.acm.org)
Functional programming languages typically support expressive pattern-matching syntax allowing programmers to write concise and type-safe code, especially appropriate for manipulating algebraic data types.

Functional Programming, Programming Languages, Syntax

145 points by azhenley 34 days ago | 48 comments

Coding without braces: An alternate C Syntax (deusinmachina.net)
I recently stumbled upon an interesting piece of C language trivia that underscores how different computers were when C was first created. Specifically, C allows the use of digraphs (two letter combinations that represent a single letter) like <% and %> as alternatives of { and } and <: and :> as substitutes for [ and ]. The purpose of this was to provide an alternate syntax to support keyboards and character sets where braces and brackets were not available.

Programming Languages, C Language, History, Syntax, Trivia

6 points by todsacerdoti 44 days ago | 2 comments

Guile 3.0.10 now ships with support for parens-optional syntax (wisp) (draketo.de)
» I love the syntax of Python, but crave the simplicity and power of Lisp.«

Programming Languages, Lisp, Guile, Syntax, Python

37 points by Y_Y 72 days ago | 13 comments

Railroad Diagram Generator (from EBNF syntax) (red-dove.com)

Programming, Tools, Syntax

13 points by aargh_aargh 81 days ago | 2 comments

Rust's Ugly Syntax (2023) (matklad.github.io)

Rust, Programming Languages, Syntax

161 points by nequo 85 days ago | 165 comments

PEP 750: Tag Strings for Writing Domain-Specific Languages (python.org)