Modules vs. Packages

[Paul Benedict]

Alex,

I found the M at V notation to be a bit surprising. I get what it is
trying to express -- "Module at/of Version" -- but I do not like
reusing the annotation symbol here.

Joshua Bloch wrote in his latest "Effective Java" book that
annotations, when first introduced, missed an opportunity to use the
NAME:VALUE notation precedent. If that decision was made, it would be
easy enough to expand the language for default parameter values too.
Imagine this instead:

@SomeAnnotation(options:1)
void draw(int x, int y, Color color:BLACK);

And let's not forget the foreach loop:
for (String value : arrays)

Likewise, I think M:V would be better suited. Aside from some
precedent already (foreach), it is a popular convention used by Maven
(group:artifact:version).

Paul