[TTPrograms]

The semantic value of that punctuation is primarily for readibility and comprehensibility, then, where human bandwidth is way more limited. Achieving this goal is much more critical than reducing keystrokes, IMO. "Code is for humans to read, execution is an afterthought" or whatever the famous quote is. This isn't simply included to achieve a "modern feel".

[smorrow]

IIRC Brian Kernighan said that. And the Kernighan & Pike book regards the shell, not C, as the primary language of Unix.