The problem here is that angle brackets are semantics dependent syntax. Whether ...

steveklabnik · 2025-11-25T20:10:12 1764101412

Square brackets would be semantically dependent if they appeared in the same position of angle brackets. There's nothing magical about [] that makes the problems with <> disappear.

GoblinSlayer · 2025-11-25T21:25:08 1764105908

It disappears the problem that angle brackets are sometimes not brackets. I.e. a<b>c is parsed as (a<b)>c or as (a(<b>))c.

xscott · 2025-11-25T21:57:47 1764107867

It also comes up when you want compile time expressions as parameters to your generics:

    // nice and clean
    let a = Generic[T, A > B]::new(); 

    // gross curlies needed because of poor choices
    let a = Generic::<T, {A > B}>::new();

kstrauser · 2025-11-25T20:53:42 1764104022

So that’s the Specificth element of Generic?

GoblinSlayer · 2025-11-25T21:28:25 1764106105

It's Brackets(Generic,Specific).