• janderson (13/13) Sep 01 2007 Here's a random idea that I think may be a little bit much:
• Bill Baxter (5/26) Sep 01 2007 That's what the function called 'apply' typically does in the functional...
• janderson (4/32) Sep 01 2007 Some other languages I've use have a foreach function in the standard

janderson <askme me.com> writes:

Here's a random idea that I think may be a little bit much:

Auto Array iteration.

If you have a function like:

void foo(int x);

Then the language could allow you to use it on arrays like:

auto array = new int[];
foo(array);  //Iterate though every array
foo(5);  //One element like normal

foo(int[] x);  //Override array version of the operation to do something 
more optimal.

It may make logic errors more difficult to see, so scratch that idea.

Perhaps it could be done with some template syntax in a slightly more 
verbose way.

Bill Baxter <dnewsgroup billbaxter.com> writes:

janderson wrote:
 Here's a random idea that I think may be a little bit much:
 
 Auto Array iteration.
 
 If you have a function like:
 
 void foo(int x);
 
 Then the language could allow you to use it on arrays like:
 
 auto array = new int[];
 foo(array);  //Iterate though every array
 foo(5);  //One element like normal
 
 foo(int[] x);  //Override array version of the operation to do something 
 more optimal.
 
 It may make logic errors more difficult to see, so scratch that idea.
 
 Perhaps it could be done with some template syntax in a slightly more 
 verbose way.

That's what the function called 'apply' typically does in the functional 
paradigm.  Something like  apply(foo, array).  With the extended member 
syntax proposed you could even make it be   foo.apply(array).

--bb

janderson <askme me.com> writes:

Bill Baxter wrote:
 janderson wrote:
 Here's a random idea that I think may be a little bit much:

 Auto Array iteration.

 If you have a function like:

 void foo(int x);

 Then the language could allow you to use it on arrays like:

 auto array = new int[];
 foo(array);  //Iterate though every array
 foo(5);  //One element like normal

 foo(int[] x);  //Override array version of the operation to do 
 something more optimal.

 It may make logic errors more difficult to see, so scratch that idea.

 Perhaps it could be done with some template syntax in a slightly more 
 verbose way.

 
 That's what the function called 'apply' typically does in the functional 
 paradigm.  Something like  apply(foo, array).  With the extended member 
 syntax proposed you could even make it be   foo.apply(array).
 
 --bb

Some other languages I've use have a foreach function in the standard 
lib.  However the point is those can't be overridden.

-Joel