# Escaped line breaks in (e.g.) @enum?

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/escaped-line-breaks-in-e-g-enum/12650>\
**Category:** Internals & Design\
**Tags:** enum\
**Created:** [July 25, 2018, 10:07am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/escaped-line-breaks-in-e-g-enum/12650 "2018-07-25T10:07:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mlhetland](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/mlhetland/32/283_2.png) [@mlhetland](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/mlhetland)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2018, 10:07am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/escaped-line-breaks-in-e-g-enum/12650/1 "2018-07-25T10:07:56Z")

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Might it be useful to permit (i.e., interpret/discard) escaped newlines in macros such as `@enum`? I know one can already use `begin`/`end`, but if the enum members are just a bit over a single line, it might be useful to write, say,

```julia
@enum Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consetetur sadipscing elitr sed diam nonumy \
      eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore

```

rather than

```julia
@enum Lorem begin ipsum; dolor; sit; amet; consetetur; sadipscing; elitr; sed;
      diam; nonumy; eirmod; tempor; invidunt; ut; labore; et; dolore end

```

or, I suppose,

```julia
@enum(Lorem, ipsum, dolor, sit, amet, consetetur, sadipscing, elitr, sed,
      diam, nonumy, eirmod, tempor, invidunt, ut, labore, et, dolore)

```

Perhaps this is even a convention that might be useful in other single-line macros (though I can’t think of any obvious candidates off the top of my head) – just as an analogy to ordinary single-line statements/expressions?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mlhetland](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/mlhetland/32/283_2.png) [@mlhetland](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/mlhetland)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2018, 10:11am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/escaped-line-breaks-in-e-g-enum/12650/2 "2018-07-25T10:11:30Z")

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I guess even

```julia
@enum Lorem begin
    ipsum dolor sit amet consetetur sadipscing elitr sed diam nonumy eirmod
    tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore
end

```

would be an improvement for `@enum`, specifically (i.e., not require separate lines/statements for the members).

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ScottPJones](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/scottpjones/32/146_2.png) [@ScottPJones](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/ScottPJones)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2018, 5:37am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/escaped-line-breaks-in-e-g-enum/12650/3 "2018-07-27T05:37:13Z")

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What’s the matter with the `@enum( ... )` form?  
It seems pretty clear, easy to use, and unambiguous to me.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mlhetland](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/mlhetland/32/283_2.png) [@mlhetland](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/mlhetland)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2018, 6:41am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/escaped-line-breaks-in-e-g-enum/12650/4 "2018-07-27T06:41:37Z")

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Yeah, it was just a mild, irrational preference, but you’re right – it’s fine.