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My point is about potential problems in backwards compatibility.

A transformation of a string or a number into another string or number is common, BUT the transformation of refs is impossible.

Hence it's far more likely that legacy code will break if something like $_++ became illegal for an aliased input like 3+4 .

Same code for refs wouldn't make sense at all.

I can't come up with more intuitive examples, but I'm sure those exist.

Cheers Rolf
_{(addicted to the Perl Programming Language :)

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