[r6rs-discuss] [Formal] String positions and string slices

From: Thomas Lord <lord>
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2007 08:00:48 -0700

Chris Hanson wrote:
>> Then, a strong argument for keeping the STRING type is that
>> a mutable, homogenous, disjoint, arbitrary-size sequence of CHAR
>> is a vital abstraction for common I/O operations.
>>
>
> I don't see how "mutable" is vital here, unless you are referring to
> implementation of I/O buffers. I don't see that buffering need be done
> using the text abstraction; vectors of characters will work fine.
>
>

Homogeneity (and, consequently, disjointness) are desirable for
efficient buffers and so that implementations have at least the
option of representations that are directly useful with foreign
functions and system calls.

"Text" is an interesting but poorly elaborated abstraction in
this discussion. Should it be permitted to include non-Unicode
characters, as for example some Japanese would like? Should
it include various kinds of character or region property? Markers?

In any event, perhaps it is useful to begin conceiving of an
eventual TEXT type as a non-disjoint abstract type whose API
is given as some form of extensible generics.

-t
Received on Tue Apr 10 2007 - 11:00:48 UTC