[REBOL] Re: This is a bug?
From: joel:neely:fedex at: 14-Sep-2001 2:10
Hi, Romano,
Romano Paolo Tenca wrote:
> This is a bug?
>
> >> third context [a: 2]
> == [a: 2]
> >> pick context [a: 2] 3
> ** Script Error: Out of range or past end
> ** Near: pick context [a: 2] 3
>
It would certainly appear to be inconsistent, given
>> foo: make object! [a: 3]
>> first foo
== [self a]
>> second foo
== [
make object! [
a: 3
] 3]
>> third foo
== [a: 3]
>> pick foo 1
== [self a]
>> pick foo 2
== [
make object! [
a: 3
] 3]
>> pick foo 3
** Script Error: Out of range or past end
** Near: pick foo 3
The unavailability of an authoritative specification for REBOL
means that one can't really call such things "bugs" (unless
someone at REBOL Technologies is willing to go on record with
such a diagnosis). Sometimes such things are really flaws in
the implementation (i.e., it doesn't do what RT intended),
sometimes they are unexpected emergent properties (i.e., no
real intention one way or the other, just confusing to those
trying to construct their own mental models of REBOL), and
sometimes they are deliberate (i.e., RT really had something
specific in mind and there's an undocumented rationale for the
behavior that's puzzling us outsiders).
Holger's recent email on contexts represents a major landmark
in the dialogue with RT on such issues. My thanks to him for
the information! (And my envy to Ladislav for being able to
stimulate the disclosure! Most of my own efforts to point
out such issues and get explanations were met with either
silence or sarcasm. ;-)
I hope we get a definitive answer on your question as well.
-jn-
--
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joel'dot'neely'at'fedex'dot'com