Monday, January 3, 2022

Re: Vim9 import [was Vim9 script feature-complete]

* Bram Moolenaar <Bram@moolenaar.net> [220103 07:07]:
>
> > On 2021-12-30, Bram Moolenaar <Bram@moolenaar.net> wrote:
> > > If you have remarks on something in Vim9 script that you think should be
> > > different, speak up now! Soon we'll only make backwards compatible
> > > changes to avoid breaking existing plugins.
> >
> > There was a thread about this on HN a few days ago, and one of the
> > comments suggested to reverse the import syntax so that the imported
> > script is named first and the imported entities next. A rationale for
> > this is that it would help automatic completion.
>
> Is there another language that works like this? The current syntax
> resembles Javascript, which hopefully some users are familiar with.

I have to agree that putting the file being imported first is much
better.

In Go, by default every imported identifier must be prefixed by the
package name, much like the current Vim9 "as" clause. Requiring an "as"
clause (or defaulting to some form of the script name for the value of
the "as" clause), and requiring that all imported identifiers be
prefixed by this identifier make the code _much_ clearer and easier to
follow.

I very much dislike the JavaScript style where importing, by default,
places the imported names in the current namespace rather than in a
separate namespace (identified by the "as" clause in Vim9).

Given that even when you are only importing one identifier from a
script, the whole script must be read and executed, I think the Go way
is better. Don't bother with the

import MyClass from "myclass.vim"
import {someValue, MyClass} from "thatscript.vim"

syntax, and only provide

import "myclass.vim"
import "myclass.vim" as Other

and require use of the namespace prefix:

Other.MyClass

The first case, without the "as" would default to the file name, with
leading directories and trailing ".vim" removed, and with the first
letter capitalized. Non-identifier characters and leading digits would
be removed as well. In the case without "as" above, you would reference
the imported MyClass identifier as

Myclass.MyClass

With this, every use of an imported identifier is clear and explicit.

...Marvin

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