Re^7: What does

A google code search for '" -d " lang:perl' produces 108,000 results while a search for '"(_)" lang:perl' produces 6,000.

I'll grant you, some of those -d results are spurious, someone documenting a '-d' command line switch and so on.

Let's try and wrap this up. Do you agree with the statement, "-d $filename" is clearer than "-d (_)"? I'll agree that "-d (_)" is better for performance than "-d $filename". I'll even agree that my first post was stupid. OK?

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Re^8: What does _ mean? by ikegami (Patriarch) on Feb 04, 2009 at 18:02 UTC
Do you agree with the statement, "-d $filename" is clearer than "-d (_)"? No. The meaning of neither is ambiguous. You may not know what they do, but I don't see how you could possibly think they do something than what they do.	[reply]
Re^9: What does _ mean? by Argel (Prior) on Feb 04, 2009 at 20:46 UTC
The "problem" is that the underscore in this case is an obscure feature. Most people will understand -d $filename while many will have to look up what the underscore does before they understand what -d (_) does. Use of obscure features makes code harder to understand and thus should be avoided unless there is a good reason for it. At least I think that's what pileofrogs meant. Elda Taluta; Sarks Sark; Ark Arks	[reply]
Re^10: What does _ mean? by ikegami (Patriarch) on Feb 04, 2009 at 20:49 UTC
thus should be avoided unless there is a good reason for it. What should I use instead, a class people would have to look up anyway? Remember, it's not `-d _` vs `-d $filename`. They don't do the same thing. It's `-d _` vs `$stat->mode & 0170000 == 040000` or something that's not even part of Perl.	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^11: What does _ mean? by Argel (Prior) on Feb 04, 2009 at 21:14 UTC
Re^12: What does _ mean? by Anonymous Monk on Jun 21, 2010 at 23:13 UTC
Some notes below your chosen depth have not been shown here
Re^9: What does _ mean? by pileofrogs (Priest) on Feb 04, 2009 at 19:15 UTC
Okay, fair enough. What name would you give to the quality of code that enables one to read it quickly in poor conditions (half-asleep, drunk, etc...)?	[reply]
Re^10: What does _ mean? by ikegami (Patriarch) on Feb 04, 2009 at 19:53 UTC
Clear, even quicker if it's simplistic.	[reply]
Re^8: What does _ mean? by massa (Hermit) on Feb 04, 2009 at 22:48 UTC
Your results are inconclusive, as `-d _` without the parentheses would be enough. Maybe if you pit the total of `-X $something` against the total of `-X _` plus `-X(_)` plus `-X (_)` etc you would have a better idea. Anyway, the point is moot because (IMHO!!) this: `if( -x $filename and -d _ )` [download] is better, cleaner, more concise, and clearer, than `if( -x $filename and -d $filename )` [download] because I am used to Perl and I know that anything that has `_` in it means *that thing we were just talking about*, i.e., the Topic. []s, HTH, Massa (κς,πμ,πλ)	[reply] [d/l] [select]