Make `$` sigil optional for scalar variables in 6.e

[lizmat]

When people are coming to Raku (and they don't have any Perl background), many of them are put off Raku because of sigils. Reasons:

• they hate Perl, Perl has sigils, therefore they hate Raku
• if there is not hate, then sigils are seen as line noise, rather than as helpful in understanding.

For Raku users, especially if they have a Perl background, sigils are natural. So often we (Raku users) cannot imagine sigils being an issue.

Back in 2020, Martin Tourneboeuf (tinmarino) created a slang Slang::Nogil, which never really worked and ultimately bitrotted completely. A new version of Slang::Nogil was created by yours truly, using a Rakudo grammar feature added in 2023.

In Allowing for fewer dollars I describe the reasons for making the $ sigil optional, at least in variable definitions.

The question here is: should this feature become standard in 6.e. And if so, should that include signatures as well (which it currently doesn't).

[librasteve]

I am against this proposal.

Why?

There is a conversion pain from non sigil languages like Python, sure.

But a good Raku introduction can straightforwardly explain the design. And it is consistent (more so than perl) and useful.

With this idea, however, we will have balkanisation of learning materials … some will lead with non sigils, some with sigils. Chaos.

Poor newcomers are anyway faced with a big learning curve vs the Python minimalism. This additional confusion is going to multiply that.

I get that Raku is a timtowdi space, but imho the NoSigil variant is correctly located as a slang / module

[arunvickram]

I second @librasteve's opinion.

A counter-argument to the sigils potentially hampering the further adoption of Raku would be the fact that PHP uses $ for its variables regardless of container type, and it's effectively the backbone of the internet. In Raku, I think there's even more meaning behind having $ be the prefix for scalar variables especially when considering functions like cas or atomic-*.

I think there are more systemic hurdles to Raku's adoption such as there not being a really extensive static analyzer (which is a huge undertaking I admit) that if addressed, would significantly help with bringing potentially new Raku programmers.

[jubilatious1]

I hadn't learned sigils before, but they seem fine in Raku. Much cleaner than in Perl.

Never understood why Perl (and now Raku), didn't give rise to better-looking fonts.

Here's a recently released font, Myna, which promises:

"Myna is a monospace font which aims to bring harmony to your editor by treating symbols as first-class glyphs alongside alphanumeric characters."

https://github.com/sayyadirfanali/Myna

[0rir]

Against for the reasons @librasteve gives and others. Sigils are helpful info. Sigils create namespaces.

"At least in variable definitions" has me wondering if this purification of Raku will be as seductive as hoped. And if it is, how the sigilers and the sigilless will interact.