I use my list (www.rosycrew.org/list.factor) rather than sequences because I have trouble doing what I want with sequences.
For example, I want to find a node in the list and split the list into two lists at that point. With sequences, the function find returns an index into the sequence. None of the spliting functions take an index however. All of them are splitting on a particular subsequence. For me to use these, I would have to actually create a subsequence that is a model for what I'm looking for. That is complicated. Besides that, it will likely not work anyway, as I only want to test for some particular aspect of the node, rather than for a complete match. What I do with the lists is find my node by giving traverse a quotation that tests each node and stops on the one that I want. I then give split the head of the list and the middle node, and I get my two lists. Also, sometimes I want to insert a list into the middle of another list at a certain point. This is easily done with my insert function. The problems with inserting into sequences are very similar to the problems with splitting sequences. Also, sometimes I want to remove a portion of a list from a list. This is also cumbersome with sequences. Sequences are nice because they can be written as literals in the source-code using the curly brackets. Also, they print out in a nice visual manner, whereas my lists are a big unreadable mess. I find sequences to be difficult to manipulate though. It is possible that I just haven't learned enough about sequences. As I've said before, I'm not very good at learning OPC (other people's code), and it is generally easier for me to just write what I need from scratch. The downside though, is that my programs aren't idiomatic. I had programmed in Forth for all of my life, and I had never even heard the word "idiomatic" until I started learning Factor. Most Forth programmers would be completely baffled by the suggestion that there is virtue in doing things the way that other people do them. They would consider that to be a most bizarre superstition. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Come build with us! The BlackBerry® Developer Conference in SF, CA is the only developer event you need to attend this year. Jumpstart your developing skills, take BlackBerry mobile applications to market and stay ahead of the curve. Join us from November 9-12, 2009. Register now! http://p.sf.net/sfu/devconf _______________________________________________ Factor-talk mailing list Factor-talk@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/factor-talk
