1. [Phix Tutorial] Basic Sequence Actions
- Posted by _tom (admin) Jan 26, 2019
- 1510 views
Phix Billiard Ball Diagrams
Item
An "item" works like a variable, you can assign it a new value.
To Item | ? | |
---|---|---|
s = "○◍○○" | s[2] = '●' | "○●○○" |
s = "○◍○○" | s[2] = "●●" | {'○', "●●", '○','○'} |
Fill
Atom to slice, all items get the same value.
Atom Fill | ? | |
---|---|---|
s = "○◍○○" | s[2..2] = '●' | "○●○○" |
s = "○◍◍◍" | s[2..4] = '●' | "○●●●" |
New Items
A "gap" starts with nothing, you can not assign an atom to a gap, but you can assign any sequence to a gap.
To Any Gap | ? | |
---|---|---|
s = "○◍○" | s[2..1] = '●' | "○◍○" |
s = "○◍○" | s[2..1] = { '●' } | "○●◍○" |
s = "○◍○" | s[2..1] = "●" | "○●◍○" |
s = "○◍○" | s[2..1] = "●●" | "○●●◍○" |
To Head Gap | ? | |
---|---|---|
s = "◍○○○" | s[1..0] = '●' | "◍○○○" |
s = "◍○○○" | s[1..0] = "●" | "●◍○○○" |
s = "◍○○○" | s[1..0] = "●●" | "●●◍○○○" |
To Tail Gap | ? | |
---|---|---|
s = "○○○◍" | s[$+1..$] = '●' | "○○○◍" |
s = "○○○◍" | s[$+1 .. $] = "●" | "○○○◍●" |
s = "○○○◍" | s[$+1 .. $] = "●●" | "○○○◍●●" |
2. Re: [Phix Tutorial] Basic Sequence Actions
- Posted by _tom (admin) Jan 26, 2019
- 1515 views
Concatenation
Concatenate | ? | |
---|---|---|
x = '○' | x = '◍' & x & '●' | "◍○●" |
s = "○○○" | s = '◍' & s & '●' | "◍○○○●" |
s = "○○○" | s = "◍" & s &"●" | "◍○○○●" |
s = "○○○" | s = "◍◍◍" & s & "●●●" | "◍◍◍○○○●●●" |
Remove
Get rid of an item or slice.
Remove | ? | |
---|---|---|
s = "○◍○○" | s[2..2] = {} | "○○○" |
s = "○◍◍◍" | s[2..$] = {} | "○" |
Replace
Replace a slice with something completely new.
Replace a slice | ? | |
---|---|---|
s = "○◍○○" | s[2..2] = '●' | "○●○○" |
s = "○◍○○" | s[2..2] = "●" | "○●○○" |
s = "○◍○○" | s[2..2] = "●●●●●" | "○●●●●●○○" |
s = "○◍◍○" | s[2..3] = "●●" | "○●●○" |
s = "○◍◍◍" | s[2..$] = "●●●●●" | "○●●●●●" |
3. Re: [Phix Tutorial] Basic Sequence Actions
- Posted by euphoric (admin) Jan 27, 2019
- 1432 views
_tom, can you explain the usage of a "gap?"
I've seen gaps like [2..1], but can there be other gaps, like [4..2]? And what does that do?
4. Re: [Phix Tutorial] Basic Sequence Actions
- Posted by _tom (admin) Jan 27, 2019
- 1539 views
_tom, can you explain the usage of a "gap?"
I've seen gaps like [2..1], but can there be other gaps, like [4..2]? And what does that do?
Gap | Item | Slice ( Caret | Cursor )
In a classic text based word processor a cursor "selects by highlighting a block on top of a character." In graphical word processors a caret "selects by a vertical line marker just before a character."
sequence s = "1234" -- a string with four digit characters
"1❷34" -- cursor "on 2"
"1|234" -- caret "before 2"
In a sequence|string we can use these ideas. In "1❷34" we say s[2] is the item 2 . In "1❷34" we say s[2..2] is the slice {2} . In "1|234" we say s[2..1] is the gap {} .
We can identify all gaps in a sequence as "|●|●|●|●|" ; there is a gap at the head and tail of a sequence; there is a gap between any two items. All gaps are an empty sequence {} or "" .
There is no item [0] or item [5] in the four item sequence "●●●●" , but there are lots of gaps.
Gaps in a Sequence or String | ? | |
---|---|---|
s = "|◍○○○" | s = s[1..0] | "" |
s = "○|◍○○" | s = s[2..1] | "" |
s = "○○|◍○" | s = s[3..2] | "" |
s = "○○○|◍" | s = s[4..3] | "" |
s = "○○○○|" | s = s[5..4] | "" |
Each gap is an empty sequence.
To assign an atom to an empty gap is futile-- nothing happens.
An assignment will replace an empty gap with a new slice--the sequence grows by the length of the slice.
Reminder: This is a Phix tutorial. In oE you can not assign to a gap because the length of {} is zero and the length of anything interesting is >0 . In oE assignments must have equal lengths.
_tom
5. Re: [Phix Tutorial] Basic Sequence Actions
- Posted by _tom (admin) Jan 27, 2019
- 1404 views
_tom, can you explain the usage of a "gap?"
I've seen gaps like [2..1], but can there be other gaps, like [4..2]? And what does that do?
[4..3] is a "gap"
[4..2] is meaningless in oE|Phix
That suggests an "empty reverse slice" which is pushing syntax too far.
_tom
6. Re: [Phix Tutorial] Basic Sequence Actions
- Posted by euphoric (admin) Jan 27, 2019
- 1402 views
_tom, can you explain the usage of a "gap?"
I've seen gaps like [2..1], but can there be other gaps, like [4..2]? And what does that do?
We can identify all gaps in a sequence as "|●|●|●|●|" ; there is a gap at the head and tail of a sequence; there is a gap between any two items. All gaps are an empty sequence {} or "" .
I think this concept really calls for a new representation. While the a[b-1..b] format works, I think it would be better to have a gap symbol (maybe).
All the gaps of a[1,2,3,4] could be:
a[%1]
a[%2]
a[%3]
a[%4]
a[%5]
I'm not saying the '%' is good for this, and I'm not saying it isn't. I just wanted something easy on the fingers for gaps.
To assign an atom to an empty gap is futile-- nothing happens.
Why? That seems arbitrary.
7. Re: [Phix Tutorial] Basic Sequence Actions
- Posted by petelomax Jan 27, 2019
- 1380 views
To assign an atom to an empty gap is futile-- nothing happens.
Why? That seems arbitrary.
It is (at least) logically consistent:
string s = "abcde" s[2..4] = '3' -- s is "a333e" (3 elements replaced) s[2..3] = '2' -- s is "a223e" (2 elements replaced) s[2..2] = '1' -- s is "a123e" (1 element replaced) s[2..1] = '0' -- s is "a123e" (0 elements replaced)
8. Re: [Phix Tutorial] Basic Sequence Actions
- Posted by euphoric (admin) Jan 27, 2019
- 1388 views
It is (at least) logically consistent:
string s = "abcde" s[2..4] = '3' -- s is "a333e" (3 elements replaced) s[2..3] = '2' -- s is "a223e" (2 elements replaced) s[2..2] = '1' -- s is "a123e" (1 element replaced) s[2..1] = '0' -- s is "a123e" (0 elements replaced)
Ah, OK.
What does s[2..4] = "hello" do?
I'll guess that s = { 'a', "hello", 'e' } now.
"0 elements replaced" seems to be a non sequitur.
You can't "replace 0 elements." IOW, if the element doesn't exist, it can't be replaced.
Any "replacement" should always replace at least one element. A replacement means something is taken away and something takes its place. Otherwise, it's an insertion. And gap "replacements" aren't replacements... they are insertions. You're "inserting into the gap."
I wonder if the gap would be useful to OE.
Anyway, I'm not working for change; just wanting to make sure I understand and everything works optimally.
9. Re: [Phix Tutorial] Basic Sequence Actions
- Posted by petelomax Jan 27, 2019
- 1391 views
What does s[2..4] = "hello" do?
I'll guess that s = { 'a', "hello", 'e' } now.
No, you get "ahelloe" (on phix only), but you can (if you want) get that result from s[2..4] = {"hello"}
You can't "replace 0 elements."
That's like saying you can't add 0 to a number. Obviously you can, it just does nothing.
10. Re: [Phix Tutorial] Basic Sequence Actions
- Posted by _tom (admin) Jan 27, 2019
- 1443 views
Designing a language is about finding patterns. If you follow patterns (whatever they are) the language ends up being "simple." Lisp is perfect example of this.
Another strategy is to invent "clever syntax" as you go along. You can look at most popular conventional languages to see how this works.
Euphoria stated that "only positive integers may be used for index values." Since Euphoria 1.0 fits on a floppy disk this was a pragmatic choice.
Phix lets you use negative integers for indexing. Then Phix follows its own patterns.
Assigning a value to an empty sequence {} is a discard action.
{} = 'y' -- works to discard a value
"" = 'y' -- FAILS to discard a value
Comment: If {} is equivalent to "" for "empty sequence" we must observe that some patterns may fail.
Assigning an atom to a gap
Atom to Gap | ? | |
---|---|---|
s = "◍○○○" | s[1..0] = '●' | "◍○○○" |
s = "○◍○○" | s[2..1] = '●' | "○◍○○" |
s = "○○◍○" | s[3..2] = '●' | "○○◍○" |
s = "○○○◍" | s[4..3] = '●' | "○○○◍" |
s = "○○○○" | s[5..4] = '●' | "○○○○" |
Phix allows negative integers for indexing.
Sequence to Gap | ? | |
---|---|---|
s = "◍○○○" | s[1..0] = "●" | "●◍○○○" |
s = "○◍○○" | s[2..1] = "●" | "○●◍○○" |
s = "○○◍○" | s[3..2] = "●" | "○○●◍○" |
s = "○○○◍" | s[4..3] = "●" | "○○○●◍" |
s = "○○○○" | s[5..4] = "●" | "○○○○●" |
s = "◍○○○" | s[-4..-5] = "●" | "●◍○○○" |
s = "○◍○○" | s[-3..-4] = "●" | "○●◍○○" |
s = "○○◍○" | s[-2..-3] = "●" | "○○●◍○" |
s = "○○○◍" | s[-1..-2] = "●" | "○○○●◍" |
s = "○○○○" | s[0..-1] = "●" | "○○○○●" |
As billiard balls
Atom to slice | ? | |
---|---|---|
s = "○○○○○" | s[2..4] = '●' | "○●●●○" |
s = "○○○○○" | s[2..3] = '●' | "○●●○○" |
s = "○○○○○" | s[2..2] = '●' | "○●○○○" |
s = "○○○○○" | s[2..1] = '●' | "○○○○○" |
An atom fills a slice on assignment. Once an atom is assigned to a "gap" it is extinguished.
So, Phix follows patterns. Patterns make writing code easier.
_tom
11. Re: [Phix Tutorial] Basic Sequence Actions
- Posted by _tom (admin) Jan 27, 2019
- 1370 views
The idea of "gap" only came to me a few days ago. But it seems to help visualize how sequence works.
_tom
12. Re: [Phix Tutorial] Basic Sequence Actions
- Posted by archeopteryx_08 Jan 28, 2019
- 1387 views
The idea of "gap" only came to me a few days ago. But it seems to help visualize how sequence works.
_tom
When using the elastic frame/billiard ball imagery as a beginner to visualise how sequences look and how they work, i distinguished between the structure of a sequence and its syntax, because sometimes the two don't correspond.
For example, i saw something like this somewhere in the docs:
sequence s = { object1, object2, object3, $ }
... and i kept wondering how to visualise the $ as part of the structure of the sequence. In the end i realised i couldn't! I had to visualise the structure of the sequence as ||object1|object2|object3||, and its syntactical representation as written above (where $ just meant the index of the last element). From then on I was free to imagine elements of sequences barging their way between other elements (eg as insertions or splices), or at the head of the line (eg prepend) or at the end of the line (eg append), etc. I didn't imagine any gaps between elements of sequences, or between the elastic frame and the first or last element; I'm still getting used to thinking in terms of gaps in the structure of sequences - it isn't intuitive for me yet, but who knows...
The syntax s[ n...n-1 ] to produce an empty sequence, is another example of sequence syntax not necessarily corresponding to sequence structure.
_Arch