Re: [Axiom-developer] Spad and its object model

[Stephen Wilson]

Gabriel Dos Reis <address@hidden> writes:
> | If the vtable can be interrogated with a variety of keys, allowing
> | useful mapping of elements, I dont see how a hash is any more
> | flexible.  Perhaps you could provide an example?
> 
> Did I say "more flexible"?
> 
> When you have an array and you index it with value 2, what does "2"
> means? 

As I said, you are not limited to using an integer.  You could use
any key which makes sense.  You suffer slight cost of indirection, but
cost comparable to a hash I suspect.
 
> [...]
> 
> | > | I dont think of the integer index as having anything to do with the
> | > | order of declarations.
> | > 
> | > Please elaborate on its semantics then.
> | 
> | Nothing fancy. Its just a key, no more, no less.
> 
> Sorry, "nothing fancy" is not an executable semantics.

Like most bytes, one needs to infer the meaning by context.  An
integer index is fast because it does not carry more information than
the context can provide.  For other situations, a different key can be
used.


Steve