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From: Richard Cornford on 7 May 2008 03:00
Peter Michaux wrote:
> On May 5, 4:26 pm, Richard Cornford wrote:
>
>> But anyone then asserting that, for example, the best way
>> forward with Prototype.js would be to delete it and start
>> again from scratch will be disregarded even if they think
>> that advice is constructive (and it is virtually the only
>> way that it would be possible to correct the mistake of
>> violating the language's specification's injunction against
>> using the '$' symbol as the initial character in Identifiers
>> except when they were machine generated).
>
> ES3 spec:
>
> "The dollar sign is intended for use only in mechanically
> generated code."
>
> Both "intended" and "mechanically generated" make the sentence
> ambiguous.

Not that ambiguous (and particularly with the word "only" in there).
That sentence explains why a character that really did not need to be in
the set of characters allowed in identifiers was included in that set.

> It is only a recommendation at best.

Yet the reaction to an almost identical assertion about Java identifiers
in its specification results in Java programmers finding the idea of
using a $ symbol unthinkable; something that only complete novices and
armatures would do, and an error that would stamped out as soon as they
got into a professional context.

> Since ES is a spec that is based on existing implementations
> and language use, I think the safe bet is that such a reservation
> about $ in identifiers will be removed when ES4 is published.

ES4 looks like it is going to be a serious (if predictable) mistake. How
much of a mistake will not be clear until there is a specification to
read.

Richard.

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