Across many programming languages we see two primary types of arrays:
indexed and associative.
Both are useful, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Neither
is broken, and nether is a complete superset of the other.
All arrays offer a single variable as a collection of pointers to
values, in which each value can be obtained much more efficiently than
can be done with lists.
We could think of arrays as name-value pairs, in which the name is the
key and the value can be nearly anything, including strings, binary
data, or even another array.
When an array element's value is itself an array, the common notation
for this is to use another set of brackets to address the sub-array's
elements, e.g.:
put MyArray[1][2]
You can also conveniently extract the subarray if you want to work on it
outside of its containing array:
put MyArray[1] into tAnotherArray
put tAnotherArray[2]
Indexed arrays use numeric values as their keys, while associative
arrays use strings.
One feature indexed arrays offer is that their keys reflect a certain
ordinal relationship which adjusts itself on the fly to accommodate
deletions. That is, if you have an array with three elements numbered
1,2, and 3, and you delete element 2, what was element 3 is now in the
#2 slot.
But because associative arrays allow nearly any string to be the key, we
can have keys comprised solely of numerals to achieve most useful
results from indexed arrays, and a whole lot more.
Both associative and indexed arrays can include things like:
get MyArray[1]
get MyArray[2]
get MyArray[3]
...but only associative arrays can use strings like:
get myArray["bob"]
get myArray["mary"]
get myArray["steve"]
While associative arrays are not truly a superset of indexed arrays,
they support such a broader range of applicable use cases that they made
a good choice for a first implementation of arrays in LiveCode (or back
then, "MetaCard").
However, given an indexed array's unique ability to adjust its keys
during delete operations, it could be useful to add something like
indexedArray as a new data type.
The trick then becomes, "How do we declare when we want an indexed array?"
Currently we just put values into variable slots within brackets, and
the engine sets up the hash and pointers and all the rest so we don't
ever need to explicitly declare that we want an associative array.
So if we were to propose that LiveCode add indexed arrays, the first
thing we'll want to do is come up with the syntax for specifying those
when those are what we want, ideally allowing all other usage to
continue using associative arrays as they have all these years.
Suggestions on what that syntax should look like?
--
Richard Gaskin
Fourth World Systems
Software Design and Development for the Desktop, Mobile, and the Web
____________________________________________________________________
ambassa...@fourthworld.com http://www.FourthWorld.com
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