TITLE

Alternative array and hash slicing

VERSION

  Maintainer: Mike Pastore <pastorem@mediaone.net>
  Date: 20 Aug 2000
  Mailing List: perl6-language@perl.org
  Number: 134
  Version: 1
  Status: Developing

ABSTRACT

This RFC attempts to address the confusion with regards to taking a slice of a list or a hash. While most experienced Perl hackers are on friendly terms with the current slicing schema, ala:

    $animals = [ 
        'dog', 'cat',
        'duck', 'cow',
        'pig', 'lizard' 
    ];
    
    $sounds  = { 
        dog  => 'bark', 
        cat  => 'meow', 
        duck => 'quack' 
    };
    
    @domestic = @{$sounds}{@{$animals}[0,1]};

This is still difficult to look at, even for experienced Perl hackers. While it can be grokked, it takes a good amount of effort. Novice programmers and programmers coming in from other languages have enormous difficulty understanding these constructs.

DESCRIPTION

Several alternatives (read: OPTIONAL) are being suggested here as a means of taking a slice of a list (or a hash).

Ideally, one or more of these will be included in the Perl 6 core as an alternative to the traditional deref- and-slice syntax.

Built-in Function `slice()`

Like the current built-in list function splice(), slice() would take a list and slice parameters, and return a slice.

    @house_pets = slice(@$animals, [0..1]);

Or, with a bit of Perl Magick, even dropping the redundant dereference operation.

A major issue with slice() is the probable spelling problem. Alternative function names would be lovely to hear. :-)

Quote-like Operator `sl//ah`

This may or may not make sense, but definitely looks like a neat way to DWIM. The flags a and h indicate an array or hash slice, respectively. Furthermore, use of [] or {} containers also implies an array or hash slice and circumvents the use of flags.

    @livestock = (@$animals =~ sl/3..4/a);    # array slice
    @sounds = (values %$sounds =~ sl[1,3]);   # this too

Please see Slicing Extensions for Hashes for more info regarding hash slicing using this syntax.

Arrow Notation (the infix dereference operator)

An extension to arrow notation has also been suggested by a number of people.

    @domestic = $sounds->@{$animals->@[0,1]};

Which is equivalent to the Perl 5 construct:

    @domestic = @{$sounds}{@{$animals}[0,1]};

As mentioned above. This syntax reads quite nicely from left to right:

    Dereference $sounds, taking the slice found by 
    dereferencing $animals and taking the slice of the
    first two elements.

The biggest problem with this suggestion is the loss of context. We are not returning one thingy from the operation, but that is not obvious at first glance. The eye (and mind) catches the $ and moves on to the next line. The plural context @ is present but lost, somewhere in the middle of the operation. This is a Bad Thing. Therefore, the following is suggested, as a parallel to the current arrow notation to get a single thingy:

    $thingy   = $animals->[0];      # evaluates to:
    $thingy   = ${$animals}[0];

    @thingies = @$animals->[0..2];  # evaluates to:
    @thingies = @{$animals}[0..2];

Unfortunately, this opens up a whole new can of worms that has been covered before in p5p and should be covered again (see REFERENCES). But not in this RFC.

One more alternative: context sensitivity.

    $num_thingies = $animals->[1..3];
    @thingies     = $animals->[1..3];

Slicing Extensions for Hashes

The ability to take an indexed slice of a hash is desired. This would allow the programmer to pare out several keys and values from hash A into a new hash B, for greatest flexibility. Currently, this is only available through map():

    %other = map { $_ => $sounds->{$_} } qw(lizard duck);

Which could be simplified to:

    %other = slice(%$sounds, { qw(lizard duck) }); # or,
    %other = (%$sounds =~ sl/lizard duck/h);       # or,
    %other = %$sounds->{'lizard', 'duck'};         # or,
    %other = %{$sounds}{ qw(lizard duck) };        # trad'l

Furthermore:

    %hash = slice(%$sounds, ['dog']);  # dies (%+[] usage)
    %hash = %$sounds =~ sl[dog];       # same as above
    @list = slice(@$animals, {0..1});  # dies (@+{} usage)
    @list = @$animals =~ sl{0..1};     # same as above

Which will promote proper coordination between @ and [], and between % and {}. This allows for an easier transition from the built-in slice() to the more traditional approaches.

Finally, flattened indexed slices and hash value slicing.

    @foo = %{$sounds}{'dog', 'duck'};          # flatten
    @foo = slice(%$sounds, {'dog', 'duck'});   # to list
    
    @bar = @{$sounds}{'dog', 'lizard'};        # retrieve
    @bar = slice(@$sounds, {'dog', 'lizard'}); # values 
    @bar = slice(values %$sounds, [0,2]);      # only

SUMMARY

To pull this together, the following should just DWIM:

    $foo = 'thingy';
    @bar = qw(atomic whutzits galore);
    %zot = (tree=>'wood', rock=>'stone', pond=>'water');

    $foo_ref = \$foo; $bar_ref = \@bar; $zot_ref = \%zot;
    
    # ($) singular context                   #
    $thingy = $foo;                          #
    $thingy = ${$foo_ref}                    # 
    $thingy = $bar[0];                       # or,
    $thingy = ${$bar_ref}[0];                # 
    $thingy = $zot{'tree'};                  # or,
    $thingy = ${$zot_ref}{'tree'};           #   

    # (@) plural context                     #
    @whutzits = @bar[1..2];                  # or, 
    @whutzits = @{$bar_ref}[1..2];           #
    @whutzits = @zot{'tree', 'rock'};        # or,
    @whutzits = @{$zot_ref}{'tree', 'rock'}; #

    # (%) indexed context                    #
    %flimmers = %zot{'pond', 'rock'};        # or,
    %flimmers = %{$zot_ref}{'pond', 'rock'}; #

Extending and allowing, of course, for all of the new syntaxes listed above:

    $thingy   = $zot_ref->{'tree'};
    @whutzits = @$bar_ref->[0..2];
    @atomics  = @$zot_ref =~ sl{'tree', 'rock'};
    %flimmers = slice(%$zot_ref, {'pond', 'rock'});

IMPLEMENTATION

Could get ugly.

Ah ain't knowing no C, paw.

REFERENCES

RFC 109: Less line noise - let's get rid of @%

Forthcoming RFC from this author: Against RFC 109

Forthcoming RFC from Nathan Wiger: Reference Variables

Perl 5 Porters, May-June 1998 www.xray.mpe.mpg.de

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