# \[documentation\] Questions about the use of semicolon

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/documentation-questions-about-the-use-of-semicolon/65775>\
**Category:** New to Julia\
**Created:** [August 4, 2021, 3:34am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/documentation-questions-about-the-use-of-semicolon/65775 "2021-08-04T03:34:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Egwene\_al\_Vere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df788c/32.png) [@Egwene\_al\_Vere](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Egwene_al_Vere)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 3:34am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/documentation-questions-about-the-use-of-semicolon/65775/1 "2021-08-04T03:34:40Z")

</div>

I’ve 2 questions regarding the use of semicolon:

- I remember a few releases ago, if you have variables with the same name as function named arguments, you may omit the `foo=foo` like

```julia
x = 1
f(a; x) = a+x
f(10; x)

```

as a shorthand for `f(10,x=x)`. Since what version is such syntax supported? I cannot seem to find it by glancing through the recent news.md;

- Another thing I’m tring to find in the documentation, regarding the named tuple: how is the semicolon used? I know in latest version `(;)` now returns an empty tuple (documented in news.md), but I cannot find it in the documentation about:
  - e.g. `(; a = 1)` to create a named tuple with just one key as an alternative to `(a = 1,)`
  - e.g. merge two named tuple without using the merge function with

```julia
p = (x=1, y=2)
q = (;p..., z=3)

```

Any pointers about where such use is documented? Thanks!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rikh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/rikh/32/204104_2.png) [@rikh](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/rikh)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 3:05pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/documentation-questions-about-the-use-of-semicolon/65775/2 "2021-08-04T15:05:39Z")

</div>

For the first question: [Julia 1.5 Highlights](https://julialang.org/blog/2020/08/julia-1.5-highlights/#implicit_keyword_argument_values)