Arrays vs Lists

Rob Cozens rcozens at pon.net
Thu Dec 5 14:02:01 EST 2002


>I think in general in programming I would think _ordered_ is a 
>requirement for "list".

Dar, et al:

I just went through the indexes of the six or seven programming 
manuals I've got on my bookshelf (mostly various flavors of Pascal or 
HyperTalk)...the only reference to "list" I find is in a section 
dealing with Mac resources.

To my mind, a "list" implies no order, just an association or 
grouping.  I would use "table" to refer to an ordered "list."

And my bottom line is this: if it's generally processed sequentially, 
make it a list; if items are generally processed discretely & out of 
order, make it an array.
-- 

Rob Cozens
CCW, Serendipity Software Company
http://www.oenolog.com/who.htm

"And I, which was two fooles, do so grow three;
Who are a little wise, the best fooles bee."

from "The Triple Foole" by John Donne (1572-1631)



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