ALGOL 68 might-have-beens

Abstract

This paper discusses some language features which might have been in ALGOL68. They would not have complicated the compiler to any considerable extent. They would certainly have contributed to the expressive power of the language. In fact their desirability emerged from the practice of ALGOL68 programming (cf. {4}). “Might-have-beens” are small super-language features and some of them could even be considered as “might-be”s in the sense that they still might be incorporated in existing compilers without (great) difficulty. A few of these “lost chances” have deeper roots and may contribute to the development of future languages.