Re: Can't coerce to string

On 18/03/2004, at 5:35 PM, Tupshin Harper wrote:
>> Which is why org.ibex.js never does any lossy coercions.
>> Number-to-string, boolean-to-string, and boolean-to-number are all
>> lossless.  Object-to-string is not.
>
> This is a pointless violation of normal JS behavior.

I disagree with your assertion:

- ibex.js is already very different from EMCAScript. Traps, this, etc.

- In a typeless language, it's very important that simply moving a
   variable from one state to another doesn't affect its value. Why
   EMCAScript allows this violation, I don't know.

So if we're building a better EMCAScript, a couple of restrictions that 
make it a better language seem very reasonable to me. And as the No. 1 
user of Box-to-String debugging (I can't go 10 seconds without doing 
it), I don't really think it has much effect on the process.

I usually just result to null or equality test debugging these days.

ibex.log.debug("myBox null?"+(myBox==null));

What I would like to see is limited printf()-like support in the log 
functions, which would quickly end any problems I have with the 
process.

ibex.log.debug("myBox=", myBox, " myOther=", myOther);

This way box-to-string could be achieved for logging purposes *only*.

I believe something like this was in the works, I just don't have time 
to check for it right now.


-- d
  "There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any
   government has is the power to crack down on criminals."
                    Dr. Ferris, Atlas Shrugged