From: "David A. Black" <dblack@...>
Date: 2008-05-12T09:10:16+09:00
Subject: Re: lambda, ->, haskell, and so on

Hi --

On Mon, 12 May 2008, Yukihiro Matsumoto wrote:

> Hi,
>
> In message "Re: lambda, ->, haskell, and so on"
>    on Sun, 11 May 2008 15:14:54 +0900, Evan Phoenix <evan@fallingsnow.net> writes:
>
> |Not to throw the whole thread into a tizzy again, but why again is:
> |
> |  ->(a,b) { }   # stabby proc
> |
> |better than
> |
> |   def(a,b) { } # anonymous def
> |
> |Seems like there has been continual talk of the positions of ->, but
> |none (I may have missed it) on it existing at all (though, I'm quite
> |aware of them existing before).
>
> IIRC, def stands for define, so
>
>  def foo(bar)
>    ...
>  end
>
> reads "define method foo which takes a parameter bar as blah blah".
> Anonymous def does not define any method, so its name contains
> contradiction in itself.

Hmmm... how about "define a function [and bind it, optionally, to a
name, which makes it a method] which takes parameter x, etc....".

If def[ine] always meant a method, then wouldn't define_method just be
define? :-)


David

-- 
Rails training from David A. Black and Ruby Power and Light:
   INTRO TO RAILS         June 9-12            Berlin
   ADVANCING WITH RAILS   June 16-19           Berlin
   INTRO TO RAILS         June 24-27           London (Skills Matter)
See http://www.rubypal.com for details and updates!