Implement f.(args...) as a synonym for broadcast(f, args...), as discussed in #8450.

Also, support f.:x as a synonym for getfield(f, :x), so that one
no longer needs to do f.(:x).  For example, it was common to use
Base.(:+) and similar, and this can now be written Base.:+

Author: stevengj

base/REPLCompletions.jl

@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ function complete_symbol(sym, ffunc)
         if lookup_module
             # If we're considering A.B.C where B doesn't exist in A, give up
             isdefined(mod, s) || return UTF8String[]
-            b = mod.(s)
+            b = getfield(mod, s)
             if isa(b, Module)
                 mod = b
             elseif Base.isstructtype(typeof(b))
@@ -261,8 +261,8 @@ function get_value(sym::Expr, fn)
     end
     fn, true
 end
-get_value(sym::Symbol, fn) = isdefined(fn, sym) ? (fn.(sym), true) : (nothing, false)
-get_value(sym::QuoteNode, fn) = isdefined(fn, sym.value) ? (fn.(sym.value), true) : (nothing, false)
+get_value(sym::Symbol, fn) = isdefined(fn, sym) ? (getfield(fn, sym), true) : (nothing, false)
+get_value(sym::QuoteNode, fn) = isdefined(fn, sym.value) ? (getfield(fn, sym.value), true) : (nothing, false)
 get_value(sym, fn) = sym, true
 
 # Return the value of a getfield call expression
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ function get_type_call(expr::Expr)
     f_name = expr.args[1]
     # The if statement should find the f function. How f is found depends on how f is referenced
     if isa(f_name, TopNode)
-        f = Base.(f_name.name)
+        f = getfield(Base, f_name.name)
         found = true
     elseif isa(f_name, Expr) && f_name.args[1] === TopNode(:getfield)
         f, found = get_value_getfield(f_name, Main)
@@ -460,7 +460,7 @@ function completions(string, pos)
                 end
             end
         end
-        ffunc = (mod,x)->(isdefined(mod, x) && isa(mod.(x), Module))
+        ffunc = (mod,x)->(isdefined(mod, x) && isa(getfield(mod, x), Module))
         comp_keywords = false
     end
     startpos == 0 && (pos = -1)

base/docs/Docs.jl

@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ const modules = Module[]
 
 const META′ = :__META__
 
-meta(mod) = mod.(META′)
+meta(mod) = getfield(mod, META′)
 
 meta() = meta(current_module())
 

base/docs/helpdb/Base.jl

@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ asin
 
 Subtype operator, equivalent to `issubtype(T1,T2)`.
 """
-Base.(:(<:))
+Base.:(<:)
 
 """
     schedule(t::Task, [val]; error=false)
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ Evaluates the arguments to the function call, determines their types, and calls
 
 Divide two integers or rational numbers, giving a `Rational` result.
 """
-Base.(:(//))
+Base.:(//)
 
 """
     At_mul_B(A, B)
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ sortrows
 
 Element-wise right division operator.
 """
-Base.(:(./))
+Base.:(./)
 
 """
     IPv6(host::Integer) -> IPv6
@@ -572,7 +572,7 @@ ind2sub(a, index)
 
 Element-wise multiplication operator.
 """
-Base.(:(.*))
+Base.:(.*)
 
 """
     ror!(dest::BitArray{1}, src::BitArray{1}, i::Integer) -> BitArray{1}
@@ -783,7 +783,7 @@ julia> [1:5;] |> x->x.^2 |> sum |> inv
 0.01818181818181818
 ```
 """
-Base.(:(|>))
+Base.:(|>)
 
 """
     assert(cond)
@@ -922,7 +922,7 @@ diag
 
 Element-wise exponentiation operator.
 """
-Base.(:(.^))
+Base.:(.^)
 
 """
     isspace(c::Union{Char,AbstractString}) -> Bool
@@ -1213,7 +1213,7 @@ sizeof(::AbstractString)
 
 See the [`is`](:func:`is`) operator.
 """
-Base.(:(===))
+Base.:(===)
 
 """
     ReadOnlyMemoryError()
@@ -1702,7 +1702,7 @@ searchsorted
 Right division operator: multiplication of `x` by the inverse of `y` on the right. Gives
 floating-point results for integer arguments.
 """
-Base.(:(/))
+Base.:(/)
 
 """
     connect([host],port) -> TCPSocket
@@ -2601,7 +2601,7 @@ reduce(op, itr)
 
 Element-wise greater-than-or-equals comparison operator.
 """
-Base.(:(.>=))
+Base.:(.>=)
 
 """
     stdm(v, m)
@@ -2754,7 +2754,7 @@ eachindex
 
 Element-wise less-than comparison operator.
 """
-Base.(:(.<))
+Base.:(.<)
 
 """
     UndefRefError()
@@ -3053,7 +3053,7 @@ rest
     getfield(value, name::Symbol)
 
 Extract a named field from a `value` of composite type. The syntax `a.b` calls
-`getfield(a, :b)`, and the syntax `a.(b)` calls `getfield(a, b)`.
+`getfield(a, :b)`.
 """
 getfield
 
@@ -4309,7 +4309,7 @@ rot180(A, k)
 
 Element-wise less-than-or-equals comparison operator.
 """
-Base.(:(.<=))
+Base.:(.<=)
 
 """
     checkbounds(array, indexes...)
@@ -4709,7 +4709,7 @@ bkfact!
 
 Exponentiation operator.
 """
-Base.(:(^))(x, y)
+Base.:(^)(x, y)
 
 """
     ^(s, n)
@@ -4721,7 +4721,7 @@ julia> "Test "^3
 "Test Test Test "
 ```
 """
-Base.(:(^))(s::AbstractString, n::Int)
+Base.:(^)(s::AbstractString, n::Int)
 
 """
     position(s)
@@ -5547,7 +5547,7 @@ istaskdone
 
 Element-wise greater-than comparison operator.
 """
-Base.(:(.>))
+Base.:(.>)
 
 """
     search(string, chars, [start])
@@ -5866,7 +5866,7 @@ get
 
 Element-wise not-equals comparison operator.
 """
-Base.(:(.!=))
+Base.:(.!=)
 
 """
     lufact!(A) -> LU
@@ -6428,7 +6428,7 @@ isdiag
 
 Equivalent to `!is(x, y)`.
 """
-Base.(:(!==))
+Base.:(!==)
 
 """
     trailing_ones(x::Integer) -> Integer
@@ -6927,7 +6927,7 @@ Collections should generally implement `==` by calling `==` recursively on all c
 New numeric types should implement this function for two arguments of the new type, and
 handle comparison to other types via promotion rules where possible.
 """
-Base.(:(==))
+Base.:(==)
 
 """
     mapreducedim(f, op, A, dims[, initial])
@@ -7240,7 +7240,7 @@ diagm
 
 Element-wise subtraction operator.
 """
-Base.(:(.-))
+Base.:(.-)
 
 """
     imag(z)
@@ -7274,7 +7274,7 @@ arguments of the new type. Because of the behavior of floating-point NaN values,
 implements a partial order. Types with a canonical partial order should implement `<`, and
 types with a canonical total order should implement `isless`.
 """
-Base.(:(<))
+Base.:(<)
 
 """
     EnvHash() -> EnvHash
@@ -7844,7 +7844,7 @@ rpad
     setfield!(value, name::Symbol, x)
 
 Assign `x` to a named field in `value` of composite type. The syntax `a.b = c` calls
-`setfield!(a, :b, c)`, and the syntax `a.(b) = c` calls `setfield!(a, b, c)`.
+`setfield!(a, :b, c)`.
 """
 setfield!
 
@@ -7880,7 +7880,7 @@ countlines
 
 Matrix multiplication.
 """
-Base.(:(*))(::AbstractMatrix, ::AbstractMatrix)
+Base.:(*)(::AbstractMatrix, ::AbstractMatrix)
 
 """
     \\(A, B)
@@ -7897,22 +7897,22 @@ When `A` is sparse, a similar polyalgorithm is used. For indefinite matrices, th
 factorization does not use pivoting during the numerical factorization and therefore the
 procedure can fail even for invertible matrices.
 """
-Base.(:(\))(A,B)
+Base.:(\)(A,B)
 
 """
     .\\(x, y)
 
 Element-wise left division operator.
 """
-Base.(:(.\))(x,y)
+Base.:(.\)(x,y)
 
 """
     \\(x, y)
 
 Left division operator: multiplication of `y` by the inverse of `x` on the left. Gives
 floating-point results for integer arguments.
 """
-Base.(:(\))(x::Number,y::Number)
+Base.:(\)(x::Number,y::Number)
 
 
 """
@@ -7922,7 +7922,7 @@ Base.(:(\))(x::Number,y::Number)
 
 Multiplication operator. `x*y*z*...` calls this function with all arguments, i.e. `*(x, y, z, ...)`.
 """
-Base.(:(*))(x, y...)
+Base.:(*)(x, y...)
 
 """
 ```
@@ -7936,7 +7936,7 @@ julia> "Hello " * "world"
 "Hello world"
 ```
 """
-Base.(:(*))(s::AbstractString, t::AbstractString)
+Base.:(*)(s::AbstractString, t::AbstractString)
 
 """
     complement!(s)
@@ -8380,7 +8380,7 @@ to a variable, it returns the module in which the variable was bound. It calls o
 
 Returns a tuple containing the dimensions of `A`. Optionally you can specify the
 dimension(s) you want the length of, and get the length of that dimension, or a tuple of the
-lengths of dimensions you asked for.:
+lengths of dimensions you asked for.
 
     julia> A = rand(2,3,4);
 
@@ -8440,7 +8440,7 @@ airy
 
 Boolean not.
 """
-Base.(:(!))
+Base.:(!)
 
 """
     length(A) -> Integer
@@ -8533,7 +8533,7 @@ NullException
 
 Element-wise equality comparison operator.
 """
-Base.(:(.==))
+Base.:(.==)
 
 """
     cfunction(function::Function, ReturnType::Type, (ArgumentTypes...))
@@ -8593,7 +8593,7 @@ intersect
 Not-equals comparison operator. Always gives the opposite answer as `==`. New types should
 generally not implement this, and rely on the fallback definition `!=(x,y) = !(x==y)` instead.
 """
-Base.(:(!=))
+Base.:(!=)
 
 """
     @spawn
@@ -8758,7 +8758,7 @@ isprime(::BigInt, ?)
 Greater-than comparison operator. Generally, new types should implement `<` instead of this
 function, and rely on the fallback definition `>(x,y) = y<x`.
 """
-Base.(:(>))
+Base.:(>)
 
 """
     match(r::Regex, s::AbstractString[, idx::Integer[, addopts]])
@@ -8880,7 +8880,7 @@ isa
 
 Less-than-or-equals comparison operator.
 """
-Base.(:(<=))
+Base.:(<=)
 
 """
     ProcessExitedException()
@@ -10010,7 +10010,7 @@ midpoints
 
 Element-wise addition operator.
 """
-Base.(:(.+))
+Base.:(.+)
 
 """
     reverseind(v, i)
@@ -10463,7 +10463,7 @@ iswritable
 
 Bitwise or.
 """
-Base.(:(|))
+Base.:(|)
 
 """
     yieldto(task, arg = nothing)
@@ -10656,7 +10656,7 @@ enumerate
 
 Greater-than-or-equals comparison operator.
 """
-Base.(:(>=))
+Base.:(>=)
 
 """
     dawson(x)
@@ -10700,7 +10700,7 @@ colon(start, step, stop)
 
 Bitwise exclusive or.
 """
-Base.(:$)(x, y)
+Base.:$(x, y)
 
 """
     getsockname(sock::Union{TCPServer, TCPSocket}) -> (IPAddr,UInt16)