Is there another JavaScript feature that looks like a list of function names but which causes actions to be performed? Or operators that operate on both functions and values? The placeholders are very similar to variables, so do what they look like they do, and it's only the implicit definition that is new. The explicit placeholders feel much more like JavaScript to me than the implicit function calling of the F# proposal.
It absolutely is, but time and time again TC39 has followed few champions over the waves of people favoring F# pipes.
It's incredible to me TC39 would rather have this monstruosity over F# pipes which are actually pretty similar to how most pipes work and read in most functional languages including unix `|` one.
On the flipside, I think that this is still such an ongoing debate is part of why the pipeline operator is still stuck in Stage 2 and having trouble getting into Stage 3, despite being listed as a "priority" multiple times on and before 2020. TC-39 isn't blindly following anyone here, they seem to be dragging their heels hoping that someone comes along with an even better compromise between the styles.
Having been watching, and a couple times playing with Rust... would definitely like a similar pattern matching system in JS. I still feel the C# syntax for this feels a bit alien `varname switch {...}`.