Re: Perl 6, difference between ':=' and '='

[chromatic]

From Synopsis 03:

my $x = 'Just Another';
my $y := $x;
$y = 'Perl Hacker';
say $x;
say $y;

The assignment operator = assigns the value of its right operand to the container which is its left operand. The binding operator := associates the container of its right operand to the name which is its left operand.

Think of it a bit like Perl 5 references without the reference or dereference operators.

[DrWhy]

I always understood it as closer to typeglob aliasing in Perl 5 rather than perl 5 style references. i.e.:

# perl 6
$x := $y;

# ~= perl 5
*x = \$y;

[chromatic]

That's the best way to think of it, but I didn't want to explain typeglobs.