[REBOL] Pair comparison (was: native? :==)
From: hallvard::ystad::helpinhand::com at: 5-Feb-2002 9:13
Dixit [holger--rebol--com] (23.03 04.02.2002):
>Yes, but for string and block series there is a natural order
>(left-to-right). For pairs there is not. Do you want x or y to
>take precedence ?
Precedence or not, when presenting X/Y coordinates, I have yet to meet with someone who
places the Y before the X (ever heard about Y/X coordinates?).
[...]
>Joel Neely:
>> Since "first" and "second" are just as defined for pair data as for
>> tuple and string, it seem that (in the absence of a compelling
>> alternative meaning for comparing pairs) maintaining consistency
>> with comparison of other data types would be A Good Thing.
>
>Holger:
>So you are arguing to give x precedence over y ? In layout-oriented
>calculations y tends to be dominant though...
What tends to be dominant doesn't prevent rebol from persuing it's left-to-right ordering
in other cases. E.g. most programming languages evaluate 4 + 4 * 4 to 20, rebol evaluates
it to 32, unless you add parentheses. So in my opinion, one could defend the use of simple
left-to-right order comparison also for pairs.
...but I'm just a Bear of Very Little Brain...
~H
