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[REBOL] Re: ROUND function (like TRUNC, FLOOR, etc...)

From: brett:codeconscious at: 21-Feb-2002 1:16

Hi Joel,
> Not that I would ever dissent, but... ;-)
Hah! :)
> > Also, CONTEXT has an educational quality about it - it reminds > > me to think about where/when objects can be used. On this > > basis I was glad for its introduction. > > > > The problem I had with the name is that the concept of "a context" > is very specific in REBOL, and that concept shows up in multiple > places. A function has a context, an object has a context, there > is a global context, and every application of USE creates a > context (at least AFAICT). That's a different idea from having > a "shortcut" for MAKE OBJECT! (especially as it saves only five > keystrokes...)
I suspect, but can't guarantee, that you are mixing contexts here! :) IIRC Rebol tech. has not used the word "context" in any official way except for this shortcut function. That's rather marked I believe. I felt that this was a deliberate decision as many of RT's decisions seem to be. I have benefited though from the list participants using the word context when discussing their theories on how Rebol carries out evaluation. Such discussion reasonably uses terms from computing science. I can appreciate that such discussion becomes more difficult when a term of the discussed language has the same name. So the list has a concept they have called "context" and the Rebol language has a function that RT has called "context". Maybe the list should use the word "namespace" to identify the concept underlying Rebol evaluation in order to avoid confusion :) Also, I don't think that a shortcut should be judged soley on the number of keystrokes saved. I'm not really trying to defend the decision, more to explain why I not that fussed. I think your points are valid particularly to an audience wanting to discuss Rebol from a computer science perspective (likely much of this list), but the Rebol audience is larger. Day to day my mind seems cursed to have to follow through multiple contexts (not the CS term the English meaning) in order to do my work or think about writing programs for the net in Rebol. IMO contexts left compilers and started swarming over applications particulary when HTML came out and the internet was discovered. So one more context is unlikely to twist my mind any more than it is. :) Now I should go to bed because I'm obviously becoming delirious :)
> Try having a conversation in which it's important to > know whether someone has said "a context" or "a CONTEXT", and I > think the point will be made.
A point well made.
> I learned a very wise saying from my father: > > Communicate not so that you CAN be understood, but so > that you MUST be understood.
I like that. Thanks, Brett.