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2 points by rocketnia 4763 days ago | link | parent

In Nu, the default namespace is the one corresponding closely with Arc 3.1. And in this namespace, the default definition of 'map is pretty much Arc 3.1's. Therefore, "it's not the default" is true in Nu.

Another namespace in Nu is Arubic. Using this namespace is like using a language other than Arc 3.1, where 'map is a macro. If your problem is with Arubic itself, you're free to ignore the parts of Arubic you don't like (even if you want to use an library written in full Arubic). If the point is you think people shouldn't dilute the overall meaning of "map" with the meaning Pauan gives it in Arubic, that's a moral position, with Pauan as an unintentional villain!

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What I think is that the meaning of "map" isn't tainted here, at least not any more than usual. In fact, I wanted 'map to be an 'each -like macro before I knew Pauan had the same thing in mind.

If I don't know what language we're talking about and I hear "map," I assume it'll be an abstraction that applies a given transformation to elements of a given data structure (whatever "abstraction," "transformation," "data structure," and "given" mean), along with some accidental complexity suitable to the language, such as the timing of computation, side effects permitted in the transformation, or late-bound dependencies (like 'map calling out to 'cons, such that rebinding 'cons changes what happens).

In a language where macros like 'after and 'each are more convenient to use than higher-order functions like 'protect and Anarki's 'trav, a macro for map is to be expected.

In Arc, almkglor[1] calls this macro "mapeach" in Anarki, and I call it "maplet" in Lathe. Pauan and I call it "map" as long as we don't have naming conflicts to worry about. As long as this macro is the primary way we use the map concept, using that name keeps our programs brief and frank.

[1] I'm not sure about this credit, but I found it at https://github.com/nex3/arc/blame/arc2.master/arc.arc and verified it with a Web search.



2 points by rocketnia 4762 days ago | link

Whoops, Anarki's 'trav is a macro. I meant 'walk. ^_^;

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