Re: RFC 231 (v1) Data: Multi-dimensional arrays/hashes and slices

[Ilya Zakharevich]

On Sat, Sep 23, 2000 at 10:41:07AM +1100, Jeremy Howard wrote:
> > a) You can *already* use vectors as scalars in Perl;
> 
> That's not what RFC 82 is proposing.

Who cares?  This already works...

> > b) What we are discussing is Perl, not Mathematica, J, PDL, and so
> >    forth.  These languages have a very narrow niche.
> 
> That's because few such languages provide strong general purpose programming
> features as well. They are either limited maths-oriented languages (like
> Mathematica) or add-ons to general purpose languages that aren't fully
> integrated (Python/NumPy; Perl/PDL; C++/Blitz++).
> 
> Many Perl users operate on lists of data. Requiring explicit loops every
> time a programmer wants to operate on a list is asking the programmer to fit
> in with how a computer thinks. That's not right.

Well, this is your opinion agains mine...  ;-)

Ilya