From: Mathieu Bouchard <matju@...>
Date: 2006-10-10T04:36:28+09:00
Subject: Re: [ruby-cvs:18323] ruby: * eval.c (splat_value): use "to_splat" instead of "to_ary" to

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On Mon, 9 Oct 2006, dblack@wobblini.net wrote:

> I can't find to_open (is it in an extension?) but I don't think to_verb=
=20
> is good.

"Verbing weirds language" -- Calvin

But still, while method names traditionally play the role of verbs,=20
languages like Smalltalk, Self, Ruby have departed from there by allowing=
=20
nouns in place of verbs, as long as the verb "stuff" means "get stuff" or=
=20
"assign to stuff", those two forms being distinguished by the presence or=
=20
lack of a trailing colon (or equal sign in Ruby).

Now what does verbing nouns have to do with nouning verbs, and what=20
knowledge can be transfer from there? I'm not sure, but I think that=20
the above may give someone some ideas.

> I gather you don't like "unarray" :-)  I wish * were available. "star"=20
> or "starred", maybe?  Does it have to be to_something?

"star" is too close to the notation. However that fact didn't stop the=20
typographical concept of "exposant" (called "superscript" in English) to=20
give birth to a bunch of 470-year-old terminological aberrations denoting=
=20
repeated multiplications: exponents, exponentiation, exponentials, and=20
eventually Math.exp(). The question is then, whether you want to repeat=20
this mistake or not.

  _ _ __ ___ _____ ________ _____________ _____________________ ...
| Mathieu Bouchard - t=E9l:+1.514.383.3801 - http://artengine.ca/matju
| Freelance Digital Arts Engineer, Montr=E9al QC Canada
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