A fitting and catchy phrase for the {*} syntax element, used to indicate the {expand} functionality.
From the same thread:
On the {*} page, JMN suggests:
Since I asked the question and wondering now, why this seems to be an unsolved problem: My stk two suggestions are:
slebetman: Why not the most obvious: the expansion operator.
AM Too prozaic :) I suggest: accolade. My reasons: the sign { is called an accolade in Dutch, but more importantly the word of old is the name of some intricate dance from the French court, elegant yet complicated.
stk ...and because of Tcl Marketing discussion...
EKB I like prosaic. "Expansion operator" sounds good to me. It says what it does, and will make sense to programmers from other languages. It could also be called the "Polyphemus operator." Something like this: "Oh, that? It's an expansion operator. Because it looks like an eye, it was officially named 'Polyphemus', after the cyclops." ("Wart" and "nipple" made me laugh, but I'd rather not have to use that when introducing people to Tcl!)
MG also likes "expansion operator" (especially given that {*} used to be {expand}, if only for a brief time), though "explode" is the name used for similar things in PHP, and I believe some other languages, too.
TJK If you like cute names then how about splat (a common name for "*"), other wise I would vote for expansion trigraph. -- stk As a technical term, I like expansion trigraph, but it's very C-centric and it's not a "cool name" for non-Tclers. -- Lars H: Also, it is syntactically very different from the C trigraphs, where the usual meaning of the characters is overridden when combined in that particular way. In {*} all characters retain their usual interpretation, and it is only when they occur in a particular position that the combination means anything special.
LV How about scream? The {*} reminds me of a famous painting [L3 ]... stk Scream is brilliant... EKB I agree. Or it could be the Munch Operator. It sounds like it came from some deep computation-theoretical source, but actually it's the painter of The Scream!
escargo - How about reveal (or the somewhat more risque, disrobe)?
stk How will this go on, does someone "close" the time for new entries in the poll after a week or so and then start a vote or something?
LV Since this isn't an official function, it will go on until the community in general sees a term that they like and start using it...
stk Sure, I know that. I just thought... since it was announced as a "poll" not as a "hanging around discussion", I would expect, that someone actually polls... ;-)
LV I guess, from the poll point of view, someone could summarize the results here at the bottom, with people updating as they vote on existing names or add new ones...
EKB OK, I'll take a shot
JJM Leading expander.
AMG: Making up silly names is fun! How about dismember or dismemberment operator? Mmm, slicy! (Okay, that was scary.)
stk: "And now, Tcl 8.5 introducing (put in, whatever wins) a creation of the Dept. of silly names, a branch of the famous "Ministry of silly walks" [L4 ]
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