The :foo<bar> syntax is called a "colon pair", and colon pair also describes :quux since it is short for :quux(True)
Colon pair also describes :$foo because it is a shorthand using a colon to create the Pair object foo=>$foo Searching raku docs showed https://docs.raku.org/language/glossary#index-entry-Colon_Pair which also says that putting a bunch of those together creates a "colon list" It also has a link to Adverb https://docs.raku.org/language/glossary#Adverb which shows how colon pairs can be used to set named arguments–when used that way, a colon pair is also called an "adverbial pair." -y On Sun, Aug 30, 2020 at 2:50 AM ToddAndMargo via perl6-users < perl6-us...@perl.org> wrote: > > >> On Sat, Aug 29, 2020 at 9:05 PM ToddAndMargo via perl6-users > >> <perl6-us...@perl.org <mailto:perl6-us...@perl.org>> wrote: > > >> And if you would not mind, what is the official name > >> of variables that begin with ":" > >> > > On 2020-08-30 00:43, Brad Gilbert wrote: > > There are no variables that begin with : > > > > There are variable declarations in signatures that begin with : > > > > :$foo is exactly the same as :foo($foo) > > > > sub bar ( :$foo ) {…} > > sub bar ( :foo($foo) ){…} > > > > :$foo in a signature is a shortcut for declaring a named argument :foo() > > and a variable with the same base name $foo > > > > :$foo also does the same thing as an argument > > > > my $foo = 1; > > > > bar( :$foo ) > > bar( :foo($foo) ) > > bar( foo => $foo ) > > > > Note that forms with : can be outside of the signature > > > > bar( ) :$foo > > bar( ) :foo($foo) > > > Follow up questions: > > 1) what is the exact name used to describe these critters? > > 2) is there a manual page on them?
