From: Charles Comstock <cc1@...>
Date: 2004-06-12T01:18:49+09:00
Subject: Re: Array#rest

On Fri, 11 Jun 2004, Robert Klemme wrote:

> 
> If you want to do something about this I'd prefer a symmetric solution like
> Array#head and Array#tail or Array#car and Array#cdr.
> 
> Btw: is "rest" in English the same as in German?  I always thought "rest"
> rather means "pause" than "reminder"...
> 

You can refer to the first and rest of the list, in fact I had those
bound when I first started using scheme, as opposed to car & cdr until
I realized the value of cadr, cadar and the like.  We already have
first and last, so I assumed rest would be reasonably symmetric with
this.  a.last(a.size-1) doesn't look very good either, though it might
be clearer then [1..-1].  

With regards to english use, rest does mean pause, but it is also quite
commonly used to refer to the remainder of something.  I'd almost
hazard to guess they are equally used.  Certainly rest is used more
often then remainder in common speech I think. 

Charles Comstock