Why do pascal forbid same identifier name for method's parameter and class's data member?

Question

type
    TPerson = class(TObject)
        name : string;
        constructor create(name : string);
    end;

would trigger compiler error.

I think a self or this pointer/reference is good enough,for its clarity.So,what are the advantages of doing so?

EDIT: One more question,could you show what are the other languages that depoly this policy?

thanks.

Answer 1

To prevent name clashes where the parameter name would shadow the class member. It just can't happen this way and every name is unambiguous.

Remember that Pascal is a bondage-and-discipline language; those are designed to try to prevent common errors.

Another option to prevent the perceived problem is what Python does: mandate the qualification of instance members with this or self so that you have to prefix every instance member access with self.

I don't know of any other language with that restriction, though. But some language features are indeed unique; checked exceptions for example are, too.