Yes, FOO() is clearer than FOO or (FOO). The latter two could be strings or file handles or perhaps other things.

Yes, you can't tell whether FOO() is a constant function and so whether FOO() gets called at compile time or at run time. But neither FOO nor (FOO) make that any clearer, either.

Earlier today you wrote 

 my $tmp = io;

[download]

and io() isn't a constant, so you don't appear to reserve bareword usage for constants. So, how can the more ambiguous syntax be anything but less clear?

You know that the function doesn't get called at run time for constants. But that is an implementation detail and an optimization and so isn't particularly important. It doesn't change the function of the program and not knowing about it isn't going to trip you up when you try to understand what the code is doing.

I've certainly never been in a situation where I've slapped my forehead and said "Of course! That's why it isn't behaving right. I didn't (notice|put in) (the lack of|) the empty prototype!".

- tye        

In reply to Re^5: explanation of constant syntax? (clearer!) by tye
in thread explanation of constant syntax? by Anonymous Monk

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