[array] Some other questions

Try this: chickenfarm/1/tasty: "drumsticks" ; change first object in the block chickenfarm == [ make object! [ tasty: "drumsticks" ] make object! [ tasty: "drumsticks" ] make object! [... Oh no! They have all changed because they are in fact, all the same. same? chickenfarm/1 chickenfarm/2 ;== true I recommend doing this instead: chickenfarm: copy [] ; make a new block loop 10 [append chickenfarm make chicken []] Now they are all cloned from the original chicken. Anton.

It's not a bug, since AFAIK there's no published specification that says ARRAY should behave any differently than it does. We've seen this issue before, in connection with other reference types, as in

== "Hi!"

== ["Hi!" "Hi!" "Hi!" "Hi!" "Hi!" "Hi!" "Hi!" "Hi!" "Hi!" "Hi!"]

== "Ha!"

== ["Ha!" "Ha!" "Ha!" "Ha!" "Ha!" "Ha!" "Ha!" "Ha!" "Ha!" "Ha!"] Given the available documentation for ARRAY:

USAGE: ARRAY size /initial value DESCRIPTION: Makes and initializes a series of a given size. ARRAY is a function value. ARGUMENTS: size -- Size or block of sizes for each dimension (Type: integer block) REFINEMENTS: /initial -- Specify an initial value for all elements value -- Initial value (Type: any) it is consistent that the (single!) initial value is uses for all elements. -jn-

elements. Hmmm, at the moment, I can't see a good use for an array that has multiple references to the one series or object. :-/ The /Initial refinement seems, to me, to indicate a initial value for each element, implying that each element in the result is distinct. I believe that 'array is more useful to most people when each value is a unique value, like:

== [123 123 123 123 123 123 123 123 123 123]

== [579 123 123 123 123 123 123 123 123 123]

== ["abc" "abc" "abc" "abc" "abc" "abc" "abc" "abc" "abc" "abc"]

== ""

== ["abcdef" "abc" "abc" "abc" "abc" "abc" "abc" "abc" "abc" "abc"] And if I do need a block with multiple references to the one series or object, I can very easily write:

== ["abc" "abc" "abc" "abc" "abc" "abc" "abc" "abc" "abc" "abc"]

== ""

== ["abcdef" "abcdef" "abcdef" "abcdef" "abcdef" "abcdef" "abcdef" "abcdef" abcdef "abcd ef"] Just my opinion. :) Andrew J Martin Speaking in tongues and performing miracles. ICQ: 26227169 http://www.rebol.it/Valley/ http://valley.orcon.net.nz/ http://Valley.150m.com/

I guess we're just differing over the interpretation of the words here. I read the phrases "a value for all elements" and "a value for each element" as slightly different (but see below).

When dealing with reference values I certainly agree that it would be more useful if /INITIAL gave a *spec* to be used to construct an initial value for each element. My quibble was only with the notion of calling the present behavior a bug, instead of saying that it would have been more useful if ARRAY worked in the way that you (and I) would have expected. I'm just being an old grouch on this point because I've recently been bitten again by a subtlety that isn't documented anywhere that I could find, so I had to resort to "particle physics" just to figure out what the interpreter was doing (and have to hope that it won't change in a future release). It's just my old build-to-spec temperament, chanting: If there ain't no spec, there ain't no bugs! ;-) -jn-