From p.dalgaard at biostat.ku.dk  Tue Nov 18 00:00:40 2008
From: p.dalgaard at biostat.ku.dk (Peter Dalgaard)
Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:00:40 +0100
Subject: [Rd] assign("FALSE", TRUE)
In-Reply-To: <18721.60440.551783.840625@cmath-5.math.ethz.ch>
References: <3EFAB5FA-61AF-4646-8C17-288838AB075B@auckland.ac.nz>
	<18721.60440.551783.840625@cmath-5.math.ethz.ch>
Message-ID: <4921F798.6010006@biostat.ku.dk>

Martin Maechler wrote:

> But in spite of all that I agree that I'd have liked
>     `FALSE` <-  <whatever>
> to signal an error about the fact that it is a reserved word.
> 
>     RT> This is clearly not a very important issue, but it might
>     RT> bear some thinking about.
> 
> Yes.  I'd propose that R-core look into how to make assignment to a
> reserved word an error.

I disagree. In a sense, this is the point of having the backtick 
operator: allowing you to work with names that would otherwise be syntax 
errors (notice that such names are sometimes created outside your 
control, e.g. via column names in data frames). If you start disallowing 
some of them again, well, that way lies madness!

-- 
    O__  ---- Peter Dalgaard             ?ster Farimagsgade 5, Entr.B
   c/ /'_ --- Dept. of Biostatistics     PO Box 2099, 1014 Cph. K
  (*) \(*) -- University of Copenhagen   Denmark      Ph:  (+45) 35327918
~~~~~~~~~~ - (p.dalgaard at biostat.ku.dk)              FAX: (+45) 35327907



[Rd] assign("FALSE", TRUE)
Peter Dalgaard