Presumably the advantage is speed? Being a compile-time thing rather than a run-time eval?

That's a beneficial side-effect of avoiding string eval. But mostly just a healthy aversion to using it, if it is easier to avoid it.

I don't subscribe to the evil-eval notion--if I need to evaluate a runtime mathematical expression, I will. Far easier to use Perl's expression parser than write my own, or discover the limitations of someone else's--but for the usage outlined, everything is known at compile-time, so no need to invoke the compiler again (multiple times) at runtime.

Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.
"Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority".
In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.
RIP an inspiration; A true Folk's Guy

In reply to Re^4: Reading binary files - program structure by BrowserUk
in thread Reading binary files - program structure by Anonymous Monk

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