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#4124 — "is" -> "is an instance of (the production)"

• bug_id: 4124
• creation_ts: 2015-03-05 21:06:00 -0800
• short_desc: "is" -> "is an instance of (the production)"
• delta_ts: 2015-03-16 11:29:21 -0700
• product: Draft for 7th Edition
• component: Deferred from 6th edition
• version: unspecified
• rep_platform: All
• op_sys: All
• bug_status: CONFIRMED
• see_also: https://bugs.ecmascript.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2985
• priority: Normal
• bug_severity: enhancement
• everconfirmed: true
• reporter: Michael Dyck
• assigned_to: Allen Wirfs-Brock

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• commentid: 13593
• comment_count: 0
• who: Michael Dyck
• bug_when: 2015-03-05 21:06:44 -0800

In 13.1.{5 to 10} and 13.12.{10,11}, there are steps of the form:
If /Statement/ is /Statement/ : /LabelledStatement/, return ...

Using "is" here is a category error.
It would be better to say "is an instance of"
(or "is an instance of the production").

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Similarly, in 15.2.1.{11,13,14}, there are steps that say:
If /ExportDeclaration/ is 'export' /VariableStatement/, return ...

It would be better to say:
If /ExportDeclaration/ is an instance of [the production]
/ExportDeclaration/ : 'export' /VariableStatement/, return ...

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• commentid: 13597
• comment_count: 1
• who: Allen Wirfs-Brock
• bug_when: 2015-03-06 08:12:07 -0800

True, although I don't think anybody is actually confused by it.

How about "matches" or "matched"?

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• commentid: 13607
• comment_count: 2
• who: Michael Dyck
• bug_when: 2015-03-06 09:12:02 -0800

(In reply to Allen Wirfs-Brock from comment #1)
> True, although I don't think anybody is actually confused by it.

Probably not. The same could be said of many of the bugs I submit.

> How about "matches" or "matched"?

Currently, when the spec says "X matches production P", X is source text. (E.g. "Always throw a Syntax Error if code matches this production.") So a usage in which X is a node in the parse tree seems like a category error too. However, it's better than "is", so I'd live with it.

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• commentid: 13746
• comment_count: 3
• who: Allen Wirfs-Brock
• bug_when: 2015-03-16 11:29:21 -0700

deferring to ES7 along with Bug 2985