Re: [docs and wiki] How many data-types do we emphasize?
- Posted by _tom (admin) Feb 01, 2021
- 1550 views
Messing with names is always a problem:
| Euphoria | Phix | |
|---|---|---|
| object | object | thing |
| atom | number/atom | the |
| integer | integer | int |
| sequence | sequence | set |
| string | ||
| "string" | ||
| type | type |
- renaming "atom" to "number" makes beginner tutorials easier to understand (you have to explain what "atom" is)
- probably you could rename "object" to "value"
- "object" conflicts with how OOP people use the word (this can not get fixed)
- "thing" "entity" sound like OOP terms
- "number" is descriptive, "the" is not
- "set" suggests a collection of unique items mathematically, no order
- "sequence" means "an ordered collection"; that's what it is
- "list" (aka Lisp) could have worked instead of "sequence"
- "int", is that short for "interior decorating"?
- "integer" is more descriptive
- "string" corresponds to UTF8, the internet, and beyond
- for specific languages, you are stuck defining your own
- "type" is the unsold super feature of Euphoria|Phix
Out of all this I would suggest that "value" be a synonym for "object"
- original Euphoria docs talk about "working with values...simplification"
- OOP people think they own the word "object" and get confused
- easier to document and explain
be well
_tom
