[Haskell-beginners] [x] and (x:_) for lists -- did you ever think that odd?

[AntC]

Think back to when you first came across Haskell ...

This, for example (from page 4 of the Gentle Intro -- my comments added):

    length      :: [a] -> Integer         -- [ ] means list
    length      [] = 0                    -- [] means list
    length      (x: xs) = 1 + length xs   -- list, but no [ ]

Usually, showing a list uses square brackets and comma separators.

So list literals use square brackets and comma separators.

Type decls for a list uses square brackets.

List builders use square brackets and commas -- such as [1, 3 .. 9] or [0 ..]

Pattern matching for finite length lists use square brackets and commas:
     f   [] = ...
     f   [x] = ...
     f   [x, y] = ...

But pattern matching for unknown-length lists uses round brackets and colon -- 
such as that last binding for `length` above. And (nearly) every list-handling 
function has a pattern for unknown-length lists.

Would this pattern matching seem less odd?:

     head       [x ..] = x
     length     [x, xs at ..] = 1 + length xs


Experienced Haskellers need not answer: you've got too used to ( : ) ;-)

AntC