ECMA-262: ElementList : ... AssignmentExpression? Wtf?

# Uncloud Group (6 years ago)

Why does a ArrayLiteral element use AssignmentExpression, but on any implementation works like a PrimitiveExpression? E.g.:

[ a = b ]

*AssignmentExpression *is something very different. I'm just confused.

[ x = y ]

What is this, my boys?

# Uncloud Group (6 years ago)

The first example was meant to be [ a, b ]. Sorry.

# Brendan Eich (6 years ago)

Expression is .comma expression so can't be used without fatal ambiguity: is [a,,b] [(a,b)] or [(a), (b)]? It's the latter by using AssignmentExpression. If it were PrimaryExpression, ever expression using a binary operator would need to be parenthesized.

Is the "Dragon Book" still in print? Recommended.

# Logan Smyth (6 years ago)

Assuming I'm following your question, it seems like the confusion here is that AssignmentExpression, name-wise, seems like it is only for assignment, but in reality most of the other expression grammars are nested inside it? If you look at www.ecma-international.org/ecma-262/8.0/#sec-expressions you can see for instance

[image: Inline image 1]

and the ConditionalExpression drills down even further, eventually reaching all of the normal "expression" types that you'd expect in JS.

AssignmentExpression in the ECMAScript grammar essentially translates to "any expression except comma expressions.