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World: r3wp

[Core] Discuss core issues

Endo
12-Oct-2011
[2409x2]
move-next 'series
 looks ok but multiply looks weird.
but ++ already works for series as you say.
++ : "Increment an integer or series index."
Geomol
12-Oct-2011
[2411]
Has anyone said the following before?

call-by-word
Endo
12-Oct-2011
[2412]
I didn't hear that before.
Geomol
12-Oct-2011
[2413]
I suggest: skip ++ and use NEXT with call-by-word to do the same. 
Less functions to remember that way.
Endo
12-Oct-2011
[2414]
using NEXT with call-by-word (I like the name :) ) looks ok to me, 
but I remember that, "guru"s may say "it leads performance overhead 
for next, as it is a native and used a lot. it should check the argument 
and get-value if it is a word."
Geomol
12-Oct-2011
[2415x4]
I'm not too sure about additional overhead, depending on how NEXT 
is implemented today. My guess is, NEXT already test for different 
datatypes, as it can handle blocks, strings, etc. To in that SWITCH 
(guessiong) in the source code, it just have to include the word! 
type also and handle that, and default: give the error.
To -> So
and *guessing* :) Getting late = more typing errors.
Then we could have things like:

>> a: 41
>> next a
== 42
>> a
== 41
>> next 'a
== 42
>> a
== 42
Endo
12-Oct-2011
[2419x2]
NEXT already test for different datatypes, as it can handle blocks, 
strings, etc.

But it's all series type. So no type checking I think. It supports 
only series and port values.
If it supports those actions, then it should be everywhere:

SKIP, ADD, DIV, NEXT, NEGATIVE, AND etc.. then it leads a overhead.
Geomol
12-Oct-2011
[2421]
I would guess, the code is different for doing next string, next 
block and next port.
Endo
12-Oct-2011
[2422]
I like the idea, but it looks it needs using too much GET value in 
all the actions above.
Geomol
12-Oct-2011
[2423x4]
Yeah, and some may argue, it's less readable with call-by-word options. 
But some probably also finds it strange, that NEXT string doesn't 
alter the string, while LOWERCASE string does.
A lot of things like

var: var + something	; or
var: add var something

could be changed to

add 'var something
It's kinda like the += in C.
'var + something
hmm... that's not too readable.
Endo
12-Oct-2011
[2427]
infix functions, op!s should not support this, because it is really 
not readable
Geomol
12-Oct-2011
[2428]
Yeah, I tend to agree.
Endo
12-Oct-2011
[2429]
what about writing a bunch of new functions suffixed with '
ADD'
NEXT'
Geomol
12-Oct-2011
[2430]
Yes, REBOL makes it possible to do all this already. In fact, all 
the natives could be recreated as mezzanines supporting call-by-name, 
but that'll be slow of course.
Endo
12-Oct-2011
[2431x3]
You can easily see the extra overhead:
SOURCE ++
additional IF, GET, SET and CASEs..
this should be in all the natives. look too much overhead I think.
Let's wait for comments from gurus.
I'm leaving now. Bye.
Geomol
12-Oct-2011
[2434]
ciao
Endo
13-Oct-2011
[2435]
There is a huge speed difference: (my benchmark function executes 
given block 1'000'000 times)
>> i: 0 benchmark [i: i + 1]
== 0:00:00.25
>> i: 0 benchmark [++ i]
== 0:00:02.578
Geomol
13-Oct-2011
[2436x4]
That's more the difference between a native and a mezzanine, than 
the method.
Related is using POKE on e.g. time!:

>> t: 10:20:30
== 10:20:30
>> poke t 2 42
== 10:42:30
>> t
== 10:20:30

But we can change a time using a set-path!:

>> t/2: 42
== 42
>> t
== 10:42:30

So the set-path! way doesn't do the same as POKE in this case.
That was in R2. In R3, POKE can't handle time!
And that's probably an ok decision.
Endo
13-Oct-2011
[2440]
That's more the difference between a native and a mezzanine, than 
the method.
 - That's right.
Geomol
13-Oct-2011
[2441]
From R3, where ++ is native::

>> dt [loop 10000000 [i: i + 1]]
== 0:00:01.90374
>> dt [loop 10000000 [++ i]]
== 0:00:01.011743
BrianH
13-Oct-2011
[2442]
Try it in R3:
>> dt [i: 0 loop 1000 [i: i + 1]]
== 0:00:00.000251
>> dt [i: 0 loop 1000 [++ i]]
== 0:00:00.000383


Then the difference is more due to the code in ++ to tell whether 
i is an integer or a series
Geomol
13-Oct-2011
[2443]
Hm, try do more loops on your system, Brian.
BrianH
13-Oct-2011
[2444x3]
Weirdly enough, I think that it might be faster sometimes depending 
on what is going on in the background.
Nope, consistently faster. No interpreter overhead.
>> dt [i: 0 loop 100000 [i: i + 1]]
== 0:00:00.041421
>> dt [i: 0 loop 100000 [++ i]]
== 0:00:00.022857
>> dt [i: 0 loop 1000000 [i: i + 1]]
== 0:00:00.205488
>> dt [i: 0 loop 1000000 [++ i]]
== 0:00:00.130813
Geomol
13-Oct-2011
[2447x2]
Yes, ++ is faster, contrary to your first test.
And it makes sense.
BrianH
13-Oct-2011
[2449]
The ++ and -- functions are in R2 for convenience and compatibility, 
not for speed.
Ladislav
13-Oct-2011
[2450]
++ is native in R3
Geomol
13-Oct-2011
[2451]
yes and yes
BrianH
13-Oct-2011
[2452]
Still, I made them as fast as I could while still being compatible.
Geomol
13-Oct-2011
[2453]
So we would expect things like

	next 'series

to be faster aswell than

	series: next series
BrianH
13-Oct-2011
[2454]
But not as useful. The current NEXT can operate on values returned 
from functions, or series referred to by protected variables.
Geomol
13-Oct-2011
[2455]
My suggested NEXT can do that also. I just suggest adding the possibility 
to call those with call-by-word.
Ladislav
13-Oct-2011
[2456x3]
NEXT cannot do it
It does not have that kind of argument evaluation
You would need to change the argument evaluation standard for it