[REBOL] Re: COLLECTing results
From: brett::codeconscious::com at: 29-Nov-2003 0:44
Interesting versions.
I first thought of collect when I was thinking about map. One downside of
map is that generally it requires a simple series as input, whereas looping
functions can have more flexibile iterations. Map also often needs to be
given a custom function which seems like overkill. The main thing that map
is useful for is the accumulation of the result. With collect I wanted just
the good bit of map. Unfortunately collect cannot always replace map.
When the series of items is empty, map returns an empty block, collect will
not provide a result (not even an empty block) because it doesn't get called
at all. The result in this case is whatever the looping function returns
when it doesn't do anything Eg.
repeat i 0 collect [i]
foreach x [] collect [x]
So some application code might be needed to handle that case - unless you
pass in a pre-existing series using /initial.
So I got the good bit with collect but with an unwelcome cost!
You win some, you lose some. :-/
Regards,
Brett.