KBkbenson·Apr 28, 2017
Backslash is the single most problematic visible character to represent in lower ASCII. It's the go-to solution for representing the non-visible characters when you need them in a string representation in most languages I can think of. Many errors have been found in string handling routines because of incorrect escape handling. I wouldn't willingly use it as a special character in any language I had input in designing.
Even for windows paths, backslash has caused a lot of problems in various tools[1][2][3]. Just google "backslash path error" for many pages of problems. Even early DOS developers weren't happy with the need for backslash, and made regular slashes work in paths. That doesn't work everywhere in Windows, but it works in a lot of places. Following Microsoft's mistake because of an accident of history (they has already us
Read the rest
ed forward slash for command flags before implementing path hierarchies so needed a different character) and dealing with the same problems they have is not a point in backslash's favor.
> :: is two characters and is only familiar for C++ programmers
It's familiar for whoever learns it for the language they are learning. That it does not necessarily have an association with concepts from other languages or systems that don't apply cleanly (such as the namespace corresponding to the path, which may not be true) is a positive.
1: https://pythonconquerstheuniverse.wordpress.com/2008/06/04/g...
2: https://github.com/rstudio/shiny/issues/1009
3: http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21635233