Re: How to define ranges for tables?

["Jasper Klein" <jasper@...>]

Op Sun, 10 Oct 2021 09:22:16 +0200 schreef Francisco Olarte <folarte@peoplecall.com>:

> In the table library I did, I use range() and similar functions, and I
> have them ( with different names ) in lua ( closed ), half-open and
> start-offset variants. It's just about a page of code ( for sequences
> ). You do not have that many types of range, and having different
> functions make it easier for me than remembering magic things for
> reversing.
>
> Francisco Olarte.

You and Javier got me thinking.
A range object is more explicit and readable than bare indices despite its more verbose.

So, a function supporting ranges would be like:

library.transform( input, output, operation )

'input' and 'output' can be a table or a range.
A range is a value returned by one of these functions:

library.range( table [, begin [, end ] ] )
library.reversed_range( table [, begin [, end ] ] )

The usage will be like:

function func( x )
      return x * x
end

t = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 }

u = {}
library.transform( t, u, func )
-- u: { 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36 }

v = { 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 }
library.transform( library.range( t, 1, 3 ), library.reversed_range( v ), func )
-- v: { 0, 0, 0, 9, 4, 1 }


I don't mind to write more (verbose) code when something special happens.
Also a range can be a result that is used as an input for another function.


This idea to use ranges seems to be a good candidate for a table manipulation API.


-- Jasper