On Tuesday, April 30, 2002, at 11:34 , David Gray wrote: [..] >> given the quandery: >> >>> basically i want to name an array with a subscript ie >>> world0[0] and world1[0] the 0/1 being a variable, i have tried to >>> produce a simple example.... >> >> why take the convolutions??? > > <http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=quandery> > Question, perhaps? > <http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=convolutions> > 3. a complication or intricacy of form, design, or structure
touche mon ami!!! as my housemates try to remind me "please drieux, leave the 19th century where you found it, some will need to make a bridge to the 20th century on it...." > I don't use these "convolutions" of perl for large programming projects > or for sensitive cgi scripts, unless they are in a very otherwise static > and controlled environment, like in that example. My greatest fear remains that once let in, people meander around thinking that the idea is 'ok' - without the background we have acquired the hardway - that this is NOT a good idea. I know - because I took a brief sojourn in the land of trying to use variables to construct the name of other variables - for reasons that now escape me - when it would have been much simpler to straighten out my thinking about what needed to be done - sort out the hash to use in such a case - and get on with the game..... > I also find that it's only more confusing to be sesquipedalian in > response to posts that only need a simple, clear answer. this may be our parrallax view problem - you see the problem as one that can be solved given a bit of 'syntactical suger' - and I will confess - a bit of flippancy and awe that yours really worked at all.... The frightening part WAS that it worked.... Which as others have noted - means 'hey kid, here is how you can write not only WhatCanBeHardToFollowAndUnGainly code, but also code that will open up deeper pits of security issues. >> What have we added to the long term maintainability of the >> code by carbuncling it like this???? > > <http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=carbuncling> > I'll assume you mean that code is confusing. Check out Fuencarls, Abcessing, and Necrotic Masses.... Generally also cross indexed with 'boils' and normally found on the bum.... > But it's not. It's very > simple. It's a very easy way to perform aggregate functions on several > sets of data, as long as you're careful to make sure your code doesn't > have any stupid side effects, like what Jeff described. - 'as long as you're careful' - which moves us towards my core concerns: What can be done, and What Should be Done are two rather distinct sets of things. Allow me the somewhat risque argument by analogy: That at one time one could distill low grade plastic explosives from various brands of american made panty hose - does not mean that a) one should try this - as long as you're careful - { there are tricky bits that can go BOOM! } b) keep the young lady you have pinched them from waiting while you are distilling through green-nitrate to the final form.... { simply bad form - and there are tricky bits that can go SERIOUSLY BOOM!!!! } That we have the 'battle scars' to show where we learned when we should have ducked is best used to show others that there is bravery and there is FOLLY!!!! and that we hope we have sorted out which is which.... >> Why not compel the author down the road to understanding >> how to do good data structures??? > > Everyone else who responded to the thread did that, and very well I > thought. oh yes - I think quite a smashing display of team work went into the initial rounds of play here - quite - nothing at all against that part and all - but once we get them over the hump why not play the 'back 9' of the golf course as well ???? > Perhaps, however, the OP has a simple script that would be > simplified even more if he knew how to use dynamic variables. Sometimes, > when a simple script is the easiest solution to the problem, it's worth > more to just get it working than to spend time developing a complex data > structure. this we clearly need to spin out into it's own thread line - since the 'just a little script' - tends to be 'just a little pregnant' and the next thing you know they are asking for the keys to the family car - and you are up all night calling bail bondsmen.... ciao drieux --- -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
