From: Robert Klemme <bob.news@...>
Date: 2003-05-28T00:08:13+09:00
Subject: Re: Binary Tree vs. Hash


"ahoward" <ahoward@fsl.noaa.gov> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:Pine.LNX.4.53.0305271414370.28367@eli.fsl.noaa.gov...
> On Mon, 26 May 2003, Brian Candler wrote:
>
> > It doesn't, because Array doesn't have any requirement to be sorted.
>
> it does not - but it certainly can be.  i've often wondered why Array
does not
> carry an internal @sorted flag - which could be used as a hint for
certain
> operations - like Array#include?

IMHO that's overly complicating Array. An Array is simply a sequence of
items.  Period.

To have a sorted array I'd have either

 - a sub class of Array (like SortedArray) that overrides modifying
operations to ensure this invariant (or do it dependend on the flag you
mentioned) or

 - a SortedArray delegating all non modifying calls to an array and
overriding modifying methods.

I think this is the more component oriented approach.

Regards

    robert