pop, push, reverse, sort, and splice on a multidimensional array

[Rod Adams]

my int @a is shape(Int ; Int) = (1..10 ; 2..100 :by(2) ; 4);
$x = pop @a
push @a, $x;
@b = sort @a;
# etc
I see two views to take with these cases.
1) flatten the array to one dimension, and act accordingly.
or
2) assume
 my int @a is shape(Int ; Int);
 my @a is Array of Array of int;
Mean exactly the same thing, as do
 @a[3;4]
 @a[3][4]
And then operate the Perl 5 way, where C would return an array ref.
#2 seems like the way to go, but I'm open to other suggestions.
I'm especially interested in hearing people's view on how C 
should work with multi-dim arrays.

-- Rod Adams

Re: pop, push, reverse, sort, and splice on a multidimensional array

[Larry Wall]

On Tue, Mar 15, 2005 at 02:22:13AM -0600, Rod Adams wrote:
: 
: my int @a is shape(Int ; Int) = (1..10 ; 2..100 :by(2) ; 4);
: 
: $x = pop @a
: push @a, $x;
: @b = sort @a;
: # etc
: 
: I see two views to take with these cases.
: 
: 1) flatten the array to one dimension, and act accordingly.
: 
: or
: 
: 2) assume
: 
:  my int @a is shape(Int ; Int);
:  my @a is Array of Array of int;
: 
: Mean exactly the same thing, as do
: 
:  @a[3;4]
:  @a[3][4]
: 
: And then operate the Perl 5 way, where C would return an array ref.
: 
: 
: #2 seems like the way to go, but I'm open to other suggestions.

Seems right to me too.  Could always reshape the array to one dimension
to get the other behavior, and since the array is reshaped, it wouldn't
end up "lopsided".

: I'm especially interested in hearing people's view on how C 
: should work with multi-dim arrays.

I suppose that would depend on the dimensionality of the subscript.  :-)

Larry