suggestion: Null-Coalescing Operator

[gavinengel]

This syntax seems to be a more compact ternary operator, is that right?

// spider syntax:
var name = somethingElse;
name = name ?? 'default name';

If so, may I suggest a slightly different form? Per a suggestion here, I re-write the above which checks a variable and defaults it if the variable is empty/false:

// suggested formats, all of which are the same
var name = somethingElse;
name = name ? name : 'default name'; // traditional ternary
name = name ?: 'default name'; // shortened ternary <-- this looks better to me
name = name || 'default name'; // just like the one above
name = name ?? 'default name'; // spider syntax
name ?= 'default name'; // really short ternary  <-- I also like this

[fnky]

Spider got its tenary operator style from Swift. I also thought of doing the last style. It's much more compact and still easy to distinguish.

[Namek]

This was discussed already in #97, some other topics and AFAIR on IRC.

Personally, I see no reason to change ??. Take a look at @alongubkin's response in #97 to understand why.

Just a note from me about name ?= 'default name'; this one is just confusing when you don't know the language. And what if we do name ?= someVariableWithUndefinedValue when name is already defined? Confusing IMO.

[fnky]

I see the point of not changing ??. However, foo ?= baz could as well be a shortcut to foo = foo ?? baz for a shorter syntax:

function add(a, b) {
  b ?= a; // b = b ?? a
}

and you can still use ?? to allow something like this

function go(opts) {
  var cake = opts.cake ?? 'lie';
}

[gavinengel]

Good points, all. I only wanted to give some food for thought. I see this topic has been discussed before. Thanks for reading my issue.