Imperative block syntax, function definition syntax #11

There is a case to be made for [Imperative] attributes for function definitions, e.g.:

[Imperative]
def : Number boolToNum( val : bool ) {
  if ( val ) { return = 1;} else { return = 0; }
}

This could also clearly be inferred.

This is an assigned imperative block, with proposed dependency capture vars:

val = true;
a = [Imperative]( val ){
  if ( val ) { return = 1;} else { return = 0; }
}
// a == 1

An assigned imperative block is thus a lot like an immediately evaluated anonymous function, in proposed syntax:

a = ([Imperative] lambda : Number ( val : bool ){ if ( val ) { return = 1;} else { return = 0; } )( false )
// a == 1

However, this form actually is more powerful, as the type declaration allows for replication to be performed:

a = ([Imperative] lambda : Number ( val : bool ){ if ( val ) { return = 1;} else { return = 0; } )( {false, true} )
// a == { 0, 1 }

IOW, the user can specify whether the the captured variables should be interpreted as a compound or singular value.

Perhaps, we can modify the Imperative block capture list to include a type annotation:

a = [Imperative]( val : bool ){ if ( val ) { return = 1;} else { return = 0; }

@lukechurch