Re: RFC 168 (v1) Built-in functions should be functions

[Tom Christiansen]

>I intend to extend the parameter lists RFC to cover optional
>(non-tailing) arguments. 

Will this include having typed variadic functions, allowing you, for
example, to say something like

    This function takes any number of arrays, all passed by reference.

I keep thinking of a * or a ... to say "repeat the previous thing",
but that's stepping on other toes.

>Personally, I would like to see the
>indirect object syntax removed in all contexts, inclusing
>this one, and filehandles simply passed as a first argument.

I don't know what's happening with indirect objects, but the nastiness
whereby you can only use unsubscripted scalars is quite the crock.
You know, where you can say

    print $fh "stuff\n";
and 
    <$fh>

But are not (well, in the second you can, but it's wrong) able to say

    print $fh[$i] "stuff\n";
and 
    <$fh[$i]>

Definitely worth a clean-up--at the least.

--tom