From: Markus <markus@...>
Date: 2004-09-18T06:56:11+09:00
Subject: Re: Accessing Hash elements in sorted order?

On Fri, 2004-09-17 at 13:08, Hal Fulton wrote:
> Markus wrote:
> > On Fri, 2004-09-17 at 12:14, Chris wrote:
> > 
> >>>There has been some discussion going on whether Ruby's Hash should be 
> >>>sorted by default on this list recently.
> >>>
> >>
> >>I would vote in favor of it.
> > 
> > 
> >      I'd vote against, for the following reasons.
> > 
> >      1. Every time it comes up the thread goes quite a while before the
> >         advocates realize that they aren't all assuming the same sorting
> >         order.  Some are thinking "sorted by key (obviously)" while
> >         others are thinking "sorted by order of insertion (obviously)"
> >         and still others are thinking "sorted by value" or "sorted by
> >         some arbitrary key so long as it's consistent," etc.
> 
> Let's distinguis between "sorted" and "ordered." If it's ordered, you
> can sort it however you like.

     Agreed (as a terminology distinction), with the caveat that "you
can sort it however you like" is subject to some reasonablity
restrictions.  

      -- Markus