Tcl Math Syntax is Inferior to JavaScript/Python/Ruby/C/C++/Java/Perl/PHP


Problem

	Tcl's mathematical expression & assignment syntax is unnecessarily verbose and thus inferior
	to many other programming languages (especially Ruby, JavaScript & Python). Every extra
	redundant character means:

		Potential typos/errors

		More information that needs to be read and processed by both people and computers

		More information that needs to be typed

		Tarnishing Tcl's clean, simple and beautiful space delimited syntax


Proposed Solution

	Add more standard operators to tcl::mathop in Tcl 8.6, such as:

		=

		+= -= *= /= %= **=

		&= |= ^=

		<<= >>=

		++ --

	And add the function pi() to tcl::mathfunc.

	Quick and dirty hack implementation for demonstration purposes:

		proc = {var args} {
			upvar 1 $var uvar
			set uvar [expr $args]
		}

		proc += {var args} {
			upvar 1 $var uvar
			set uvar [expr $uvar + ($args)]
		}

		proc ++ var {
			upvar 1 $var uvar
			incr uvar
		}


Examples/Comparisons of Clarity & Line Lengths

	Assign Result of Single Operator Expression

		s = 60 * 60 * 24			# JavaScript, Python, Ruby
		s = 60 * 60 * 24;			# Perl, PHP
		int s = 60 * 60 * 24;			# C, C++, Java
		set s [expr 60 * 60 * 24]		# Tcl
		set s [* 60 60 24]			# Tcl 8.5
		= s 60 * 60 * 24			# Proposed Tcl 8.6

	Assign Result of Multiple Operator Expression (Long Version)

		y = m * x + b				# JavaScript, Python, Ruby
		$y = $m * $x + $b;			# Perl, PHP
		float y = m * x + b;			# C, C++, Java
		set y [expr $m * $x + $b]		# Tcl
		= y $m * $x + $b			# Proposed Tcl 8.6
		= y m * x + b				# Future Fantasy Tcl: lookup
							# unrecognized tokens as variables/procedures

	Assign Result of Multiple Operator Expression (Short Version)

		y=m*x+b					# JavaScript, Python, Ruby
		$y=$m*$x+$b;				# Perl, PHP
		float y=m*x+b;				# C, C++, Java
		set y [expr $m*$x+$b]			# Tcl
		= y $m*$x+$b				# Proposed Tcl 8.6
		= y m*x+b				# Future Fantasy Tcl: lookup
							# unrecognized tokens as variables/procedures

	Assign Result of Mixed Expression

		$x = sin( pi() / 2 );			# PHP
		x = Math.sin Math::PI / 2		# Ruby
		x = Math.sin( Math.PI / 2 )		# JavaScript
		x = math.sin( math.pi / 2 )		# Python
		double x = Math.sin( Math.PI / 2 );	# Java

		const double PI = acos( -1 ); 		# C, C++: do it yourself Pi
		double x = sin( PI / 2 );

		use constant PI => atan2( 1, 1 ) * 4;	# Perl: do it yourself Pi
		$x = sin( PI / 2 );

		proc pi {} { expr acos( -1 ) }		# Tcl: do it yourself Pi
		set x [expr sin( [pi] / 2 )]

		= x sin( pi() / 2 )			# Proposed Tcl 8.6
		= x sin pi / 2				# Future Fantasy Tcl: optional parenthesis

	Accumulate

		s += 60					# JavaScript, Python, Ruby
		s += 60;				# C, C++, Java, Perl, PHP
		incr s 60				# Tcl
		+= s 60					# Proposed Tcl 8.6

	Increment

		++x					# JavaScript
		++x;					# C, C++, Java, Perl, PHP
		x += 1					# Python, Ruby
		incr x 1				# Tcl
		incr x					# Tcl 8.5
		++ x					# Proposed Tcl 8.6


Post Script

	If this has been previously recommended/discussed then could someone provide a link?

	I know this wiki may not be the ideal place to propose this, but it is the quickest.