RE: [PHP-DEV] [SPAM] Re: [PHP-DEV] Syntactic improvement to array

On Tue, 2007-02-06 at 15:41 +0000, Ford, Mike wrote: > On 06 February 2007 14:42, Robert Cummings wrote: > > > On Tue, 2007-02-06 at 14:08 +0000, Ford, Mike wrote: > > > On 05 February 2007 17:29, Brian Moon wrote: > > > > That is why you have coding standards. Our doucment states that > > > > this should be written as: > > > > > > > > $a = array( > > > > 1 => array('pears', 'apples'), > > > > 2 => array('juice', 'oranges') > > > > ); > > > > > > > > I believe in either syntax, proper formatting of complex data can > > > > solve the readablity problems. > > > > > > Solve, no. Alleviate, yes. > > > > > > Given the above, the layout tells me there's some kind of structure > > > going on, but I still have to actually *read* it to discover > > > that there are arrays involved (and where they start and end). > > > > > > With this version: > > > > > > $a = [ > > > 1 => ['pears', 'apples'], > > > 2 => ['juice', 'oranges'] > > > ]; > > > > > > I can take one glance and tell there are nested arrays involved, and > > > what their scopes are -- I'd say my comprehension speed is at least > > > an order of magnitude faster! > > > > > > *That* makes this syntax a no-brainer for me, personally ;-) > > > > Ummm, you still had to read it. One "glance" just so happens to > > involve the brain grokking the content, just like reading. > > No, I didn't have to read it. I had to look at it and see its shape, and I may or may not > have grokked it, but I didn't read it. I still have no idea what's actually *in* the > arrays, I just know there are arrays and how they're structured. My brain, virtually > instantaneously, goes, "Oh, brackets, nested arrays, 2 short arrays nested in an enclosing > outer one!". I don't class that as reading, just visual comprehension. > > With the long version, my thought process goes more like "Uh, oh, indentation, must be > some structure here. Can't see any obvious syntactic markers, just a mush of characters, so > better read it. 'array', uh, ok an array, what's in it? explicit index 1 is, oh, > 'array' again, ok, so we've got nested arrays, presumably this line is a > self-contained inner array? let's see, 'pears', 'apples', and, oh yes, a > proper matching close parenthesis; next line similar, explicit index 2, 'juice', > 'oranges' and a close parenthesis, yup and a proper closing parenthesis for the outer > array; right, 2 short arrays nested in an outer enclosing one." See how I've actually had > to read and process *every* *single* *word* *and* *character* on the page? See how much slower it > was? Now, that's what I call reading. > > My brain may be weird and unusual in working this way, but it does so I've become > accustomed to it! I know it's off the norm in other areas (I have no problem keeping a dozen > or so PINs in my head and reliably producing the right one without hesitation, and I generally > remember personal ID, bank account and credit card numbers without even trying) so it wouldn't > surprise me to find I'm way off the curve here too. Just permit me my little foibles, eh? > > Cheers! I know how much you want to feel special, but here's the definition of "read". Your description of how you interpret what you see falls into this definition: http://209.161.37.11/dictionary/read Cheers, Rob. -- .------------------------------------------------------------. | InterJinn Application Framework - http://www.interjinn.com | :------------------------------------------------------------: | An application and templating framework for PHP. Boasting | | a powerful, scalable system for accessing system services | | such as forms, properties, sessions, and caches. InterJinn | | also provides an extremely flexible architecture for | | creating re-usable components quickly and easily. | `------------------------------------------------------------'