Optional semi-colons

[Jim Giles]

>From article <29785 at apple.Apple.COM>, by desnoyer at Apple.COM (Peter Desnoyers):
> A final comment - I spent a lot of time programming in CLU one
> semester. In CLU, the block structure is unambiguous, and there is no
> need for statement terminators. The end effect was that the compiler
> would come up with an error many statements after the incorrect line.
> It was a royal pain in the butt.

The same thing happens with C "}" marks - or with Pascal (et.al.) "BEGIN"
"END" pairs.  It is partly for this reason that most more modern languages
don't use the 'compound statement' model for flow control constructs.  For
a complete discussion of this issue, check out the famous 'Hare' experiments
done in the mid 70's and referenced in a number of language design books
and journal articles.  (I don't have the paper right in front of me, or
I would give the reference here.)