Unsolicited language feature suggestions

jai_suggestions.cpp

/* If you are getting bombarded with suggestions then I apologise for joining the throng.   
I really like the direction you are going with Jai, and these ideas came to me 
unbidden; I thought I should share them: */

//  1.  Generalise 'else' so it works on any given code block: it executes if the preceding 
//      block did not.  Predominately this would be for 'for' and 'while' loops.  
//      For example:


    if message {
        while message {
            printf(message.text);
            message.next();
        }
    } else {
        printf("No messages!\n");
    }


//  becomes:


    while message {
        printf(message.text);
        message.next();
    } else {
        printf("No messages!\n");
    }
    

//  2.  An 'until' keyword, which executes if the preceding block wasn't broken out-of 
//      with a 'break' statement.  This common search idiom:


    index := -1;
    for items {
        if it.name == looking_for {
            index = it.index;
            break;
        }
    }
    if index == -1 {
        panic();
        return;
    }
    // [code utilising index]


//  becomes:


    for items {
        if it.name == looking_for {
            index := it.index;
            break
        }
    } until {
        panic();
        return;
    }
    // [code utilising index]


//  ...which is not only cleaner, but also doesn't rely on picking a sentinel value (or using 
//  a secondary 'found' bool). Also also, 'index' isn't created if the correct item is not 
//  found: I'm not sure if that's useful or not, but it is kinda interesting.


//  3.  The idea of a 'broken' keyword also occured, where the block executes if 
//      the previous block exited with a 'break'... but I can't think of a use case for it.