# Syntax change for 1.9?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/syntax-change-for-1-9/140654>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [June 17, 2008, 7:01am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/syntax-change-for-1-9/140654 "2008-06-17T07:01:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rogerdpack](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rogerdpack](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rogerdpack)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 7:01am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/syntax-change-for-1-9/140654/1 "2008-06-17T07:01:41Z")

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case 3  
when true && a = 3 rescue nil : false  
end

this code errs in 1.9 and succeeds in 1.8.6  
Was this deliberate?  
[please ignore the lameness of the code–it was just a simplified  
example].  
Thanks!  
-R

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**Author:** ![rogerdpack](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rogerdpack](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rogerdpack)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 7:14am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/syntax-change-for-1-9/140654/2 "2008-06-17T07:14:08Z")

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Hi,

At Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:00:39 +0900,  
Roger P. wrote in [ruby-talk:305381]:

> case 3  
> when true && a = 3 rescue nil : false  
> end

Using a colon instead of `then’ wasn’t an official feature.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rogerdpack](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rogerdpack](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rogerdpack)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 7:16am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/syntax-change-for-1-9/140654/3 "2008-06-17T07:16:08Z")

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> > ```
> > when true && a = 3 rescue nil : false
> > 
> > ```
> 
> Using a colon instead of `then’ wasn’t an official feature.

Thanks!  
=R