# On using \`=\` vs \`:=\` for assignment

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/on-using-vs-for-assignment/110302>\
**Category:** Offtopic\
**Created:** [February 8, 2024, 3:46pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/on-using-vs-for-assignment/110302 "2024-02-08T15:46:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 33

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**Author:** ![stevengj](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/stevengj/32/71_2.png) [@stevengj](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/stevengj)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 8:43pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/on-using-vs-for-assignment/110302/33 "2024-02-27T20:43:16Z")

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> [@StefanKarpinski](#):
>
> I’m sympathetic to using `:=` for initial assignment / declaration and using `=` for reassignment

This kind of dichotomy would be a huge pain for interactive use — if you have a long-running interactive session, every time you assigned a variable you would have to remember whether you had used that variable name before.

> [@StefanKarpinski](#):
>
> but I think that ship has sailed.

Yes, I think [PSA: Julia is not at that stage of development anymore](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/psa-julia-is-not-at-that-stage-of-development-anymore/44872) needs to be re-iterated here. It’s fun to talk about the etymology of syntaxes and what-might-have-beens, but no one is seriously contemplating major changes to Julia’s spelling/aesthetics at this point. If people think they are arguing over the future direction of Julia in this thread, they are bound to be disappointed.

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