Which keyword of your language would you like to get rid of?

Question

Programming languages vary a lot in the syntax they use. The syntax being a bunch of keywords is what we have to deal with in every language. But from the gut feeling not all of these keywords seem to be wisely chosen. One reason might be that a word is a keyword that you would want to use often in your code but you are not allowed to use. In my case it is even that I'm not able to digest a few of this keywords so I ignore the language until an error pops up that remembers me about my stubbornness.

Do you have similar things in mind? What would be your first removal of a keyword in your language?

Update: I'm not surprized about the down votes but I don't understand it. Adding some comment would be helpful.

Answer 1

From C++ and C# I would eliminate goto

Answer 2

I'd eliminate goto from Java. Or make it actually do something.

Answer 3

I'll propose a keyword that has already been removed: the Python print keyword, which as of Python 3.0 has been replaced by a regular function, thus allowing it to be handled like all other functions (passed around, etc.).

Print is a function.

Answer 4

In Javascript "with" must go.

Answer 5

I'd fix static keyword in ANSI C. It means two diffrent things now. Static variable doesn't change between succesive calls to the function, in which it is declared. Static function is visible only inside one file.

Answer 6

I wouldn't eliminate any keywords from any languages.

Modern day languages have been carefully designed by their creators and there's good reasons for the existence of every keyword in them.

Language designers wind up putting a lot more thought into the language than us users and there are specific reasons (which we may or may not be aware of) as to why keywords are added to languages.

Answer 7

I'd like to get rid of if/then/else from Haskell and use a function instead.

Answer 8

i would get rid of 'gets' in C

Answer 9

I would remove lock from C# and introduce class Lock instead with semantics like this:

using (myLock.Enter())
{
    // Critical section
}

current ability to lock on any class looks quite strange to me.

Answer 10

I nominate the switch statement in C++. It is horribly overused, an if-ladder is almost always clearer and should be equally well optimised by a smart compiler (if only we had smart compilers), and as for switching on type, that is what virtual functions are for.