Re: [Siop-development] How to implement the "Tuple" type in Python

[Rapheal K. <ra...@ma...>]

  I guess it's worth thinking about how many languages have an analogue for a 
Python Tuple.  I think I've only come up with Python, Java and C#.  What are 
the other set of languages out there and what are their Tuple analogs:

  Javascript - None
  Lisp - None
  Perl - None
  Groovy - Java Arrays
  C/C++ - Arrays, pointers
  D - Static arrays
  Php - None
  Bash - None
  OCAML - Tuples
  Smalltalk - None

  What else?

  I think Php is an interesting case because it will be tricky to distinguish 
between a list and a dictionary as it implements both the same way.

  Bash doesn't really have dynamic arrays, technically, it's all Tuples.

  Even though Tuples are now implemented, I am not necessary sold on keeping 
them in there.  However, I would like to think about straight forward 
solutions so that it is fairly easy to get static arrays and tuples to appear 
in places where they support it.

  I am ok with the idea that some constructs are only supported by subset of 
languages.  As long as each binding has a way of dealing with those 
constructs.  Again, Php is going to face this problem no matter what.

> >   I think it makes sense for SIOP to have the notion of a Tuple type.
>
> Forgive my python ignorance, but what is a tuple and why would I want
> one?
>
> >From a brief glance at a couple python pages, it seems that a tuple is a
>
> readonly array. Is that really a useful thing? I can't actually think of
> any case in my life that I have wanted one.
>
> I guess the bigger question is whether you plan to support the cool
> extra feature of each language, or aim for more of a common subset.