[REBOL] Re: On ordinal and cardinal numbers...
From: robbo1mark:aol at: 7-Jul-2001 14:14
Carl / Jeff / Anybody at RT inc.
Why not simply have system/options/index-base:
Which would be set to 1 if in REBOL 1 = first.
But could be set to any number ordinal or cardinal
thus allowing whatever base number indexing suits you.
I know this would require 'pick etc to be redefined but
so perhaps this is less likely to introduced than say a well named base-indexing function(s).
Cheers,
Mark Dickson
In a message dated Fri, 6 Jul 2001 8:27:58 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Carl Sassenrath
<[carl--rebol--com]> writes:
<< First, let me say that as a programmer I do not like one-based math.
I've felt that way for more than 20 years.
Second, let me ask what is the first paragraph of this email?
It is paragraph 1. That's how most of the world sees it.
So, there's the rub. Some of you are searching for mathematical
purity because you think REBOL is a programming language.
REBOL is a language for communication.
There are plenty of programming languages out there. Use APL if you
want math purity. Use Scheme if you want functional purity, or Prolog
if you want logic purity.
In REBOL, first = 1 That's the way it is. Sorry if you do not like
that. I did not like it. I resisted it for years.
I fully understand the singularity it creates in some types of
math. That has not been a problem for *most* of the code I write.
If you really feel that you need a native or two to deal with it, send
me an email with what you want. (If you post it to the list I probably
won't see it.)
Be sure to provide a good name, since that takes more time than coding.
-Carl
The guy responsible.
