sorting a serie ....

Hello, I try to find the minimun of a serie (print first reduce sort serie). the problem: the sort function works with the name of the variable instead of using their values, even if a use ":" example: a: 255 b: 1 c: -1

>> print sort[:a :b :c]

>> print sort[a b c]

use compose as in: print sort compose [(a) (b) (c)] this will replace each value expression (anything within brackets) -max ----------- meteor Studios, T.D. ----------- Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman

try this too: print sort reduce [a b c] this might be better, it depends on what you are doing... used this way, you cannot leave words untouched, so it can't be used to build-up VID blocks... using compose like in my last mail, lets you convert only SOME values and leaves the others intact.. so:

>> probe sort compose [(a) (b) c]

>> probe sort reduce [(a) (b) c]

>>

Hi, Arnaud, To sort your series, try this: print sort reduce [:a :b :c] ~H Dixit Arnaud (19.32 18.06.2003):

* Arnaud <[garcia--a2--wanadoo--fr]> [030618 10:02]:

> Hello, > I try to find the minimun of a serie (print first reduce sort serie). > And I would like: > -1 1 255

>print sort/reverse [a b c]

>> a: 97

>> print sort/reverse [a b c]

Hi, Arnaud, Arnaud wrote:

> Hello, > I try to find the minimun of a serie (print first reduce sort serie). >

>> a: 255

>> b: 1

>> c: -1

>> first minimum-of reduce [a b c]

Hi Arnaud, A> I try to find the minimun of a serie (print first reduce sort serie). You're not evaluating the block, so it's just treating it as a block of word! or get-word! values; just REDUCE it. You can also use MINIMUM-OF instead of sorting the block. first minimum-of reduce [a b c]

>> sort reduce [a b c]

Hi Arnaud, There has been plenty responses answering your problem, I just want to add a little more detail on the reason the solutions work. 1) A block is an ordered sequence of values. 2) [a b c] is a block of three values. These value are of type word! *not integer!* 3) Words can indirectly express other values. The user guide says "An indirectly expressed value is unknown until it is evaluated." In overview, in your example you need to sort [255 1 -1] which is a result of the evaluation of: REDUCE [a b c]. Sort [red green blue] sorts the three block values - words - using their spelling as you have discovered. Looking at some of the solutions. Max suggested: print sort compose [(a) (b) (c)] He was creating the [255 1 -1] block first using Compose. Max and others suggested print sort reduce [a b c] As noted above Reduce creates the [255 1 -1] that is subsequently sorted. Tim suggested: print sort/reverse [a b c] This works because Print implicitly carries out a REDUCE. Hope that was useful! Brett.

I'm a short man among the tall when it comes to the talent on this list. I split my coding time between python and rebol, and find myself switching languages sometimes every hour. Besides the obvious trip-ups, like confusing ':' and '=' and '=' and '==', I still stumble over the issue of a rebol 'word', because there is no real comparison in other languages.... the subtleties remain elusive for me still ..... tim * Brett Handley <[brett--codeconscious--com]> [030618 15:06]:

> Hi Arnaud, > There has been plenty responses answering your problem, I just want to add a > [rebol-request--rebol--com] with "unsubscribe" in the > subject, without the quotes.

Tim (the short) wrote:

> I still stumble over the issue of a rebol 'word', because there is no real

Max, yes you can, look: str: "hello" view layout reduce ['button str 'field str] Maybe you didn't mean this, though.. Anton.

may I add that this is why I ALWAYS USE the PROBE statement, when veryfying functions. You get a clear picture... not an interpreted one. especially when examining blocks! -max ----------- meteor Studios, T.D. ----------- Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman

Maxim Olivier-Adlhoch would like to recall the message, "[REBOL] Re: sorting a serie ....".

ah, but here you can stumble upon a very bad proble... one that took me a few days to understand. using compose will bind the word at that time. if you just this: lbls: ["a" "b" "c"] gblval: "YIPpE!" vidblk: copy [] foreach lbl lbls [ append vidblk 'button append vidblk lbl append/only vidblk [ print [lbl gblval] ] ] gblval: "DAMN IT!" view layout vidblk pressing on any button, will actually always print "c YIPpE!" lbls: ["a" "b" "c"] gblval: "YIPpE!"now try this: vidblk: copy [] foreach lbl lbls reduce [ append vidblk 'button append vidblk lbl append/only vidblk reduce [ print [lbl gblval] ] ] gblval: "DAMN IT" view layout vidblk -max ----------- meteor Studios, T.D. ----------- Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman

ah, but here you can stumble upon a very bad proble... one that took me a few days to understand. using compose will bind the word at that time. if you just try this: lbls: ["a" "b" "c"] gblval: "YIPpE!" vidblk: copy [] foreach lbl lbls [ append vidblk 'button append vidblk lbl append/only vidblk [ print [lbl gblval] probe [lbl gblval] ] ] gblval: "DAMN IT!" probe vidblk view layout vidblk pressing on any button, will actually always print "c DAMN IT!" lbls: ["a" "b" "c"] gblval: "YIPpE!"now try this: vidblk: copy [] foreach lbl lbls [ append vidblk 'button append vidblk lbl append/only vidblk reduce [ 'print [lbl gblval] 'probe [lbl gblval] ] ] gblval: "DAMN IT" probe vidblk view layout vidblk pressing on any button, will actually always print "c DAMN IT!" ---------------------- NOW THE RIGHT ONE!!! ---------------------- lbls: ["a" "b" "c"] gblval: "YIPpE!"now try this: vidblk: copy [] foreach lbl lbls [ append vidblk 'button append vidblk lbl append/only vidblk compose/deep [ print "---global ref--" print [(lbl) gblval] probe [(lbl) gblval]=09 print "---local ref--" =09 print [(lbl) (gblval)] probe [(lbl) (gblval)] print "" ] ] gblval: "DAMN IT" probe vidblk view layout vidblk notice that in this example, gblval still stays a word with no value, because it was never evaluated before the print ( -max ----------- meteor Studios, T.D. ----------- Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman

in my last mail I again pressed the send button whithout involuntarily.... all that was left to say is that in some circomstances, using compose is more specific. in my experience using vid dynamically, you often need to bind values to words at a precise point in time, other wise you risk running into very confusing code. since compose only reduces the selected expressions, you can more easily leave blocks intact for other funtions which expect words... like dialects, and specifically vid. also, compose has a /deep refinement which easily traverses nested blocks and will only reduce one teeny value deep in the third nest... I don't want anyone to feel like I'm trying to prove everyone wrong. Everyone posted usefull suggestions, and they all depend on context. Its just that I think compose is an underused word and since I've discovered it, MANY of my algorythms have become simpler. my two cents. -max ----------- meteor Studios, T.D. ----------- Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman

ignore this mail... it wasn't finished.. I am completing it as I have time... -max ----------- meteor Studios, T.D. ----------- Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman

Hi Max, ...snip... Its just that I think compose is an underused word and since I've discovered it, MANY of my algorythms have become simpler. ...snip... -max a little ad: have a look at: http://www.compkarori.com/vanilla/display/build+dialect Strong enough for a man, but made for me :-) -L