Changes between Version 1 and Version 2 of StreamType

Timestamp:

02/02/09 05:11:57 (16 years ago)

Author:

Chuck

Comment:

--

StreamType

@@ -1 @@
-See [http://cobra-language.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=216 "Streams" discussion] for information about streams.
+{{{
+#!python
+class Example
+
+   def main is shared
+      pass
+
+   def bill(customers as Customer*)
+      for c in customers
+         c.billIfNeeded
+
+   def foo(ints as int*)
+      t = for i in ints where i > 0
+      print t
+
+   def bar(ints as int*)
+      t = List<of int>(t)
+      t.sort
+      t.reverse
+      print t
+}}}
+ * The general form of a stream type is "foo*" where "foo" is the element type.
+ * The "*" suffix can be thought of as "zero or more".
+ * The type "foo*" can be read as "foo stream".
+ * Streams can be applied to both primitive and complex types such as "int*" and "Shape*".
+ * Streams are portable between backends, whereas .NET's IEnumerable<of> and JVM's Iterable<of> are not.
+ * Streams are two-way compatible with IEnumerable/Iterable:
+   * Streams can be used whereever a compatible IEnumerable/Iterable is expected.
+   * An IEnumerable/Iterable can be used whereever a compatible stream type is expected.
+   * The term "compatible" means the same inner type: int* is compatible with IEnumerable<of int>/Iterable<of int>, but not IEnumerable<of String>/Iterable<of String>
+     * However, compatibility does not mean that you can use the methods of IEnumerable or Iterable, since these vary between platforms.
+ * Streams are an abstract type, so you cannot create them directly with a call on the type such as `int*()`. Instead, use a concrete class such as `List<of>` or `yield` results out of a method.
+ * Streams are defaulted to be empty rather than nil.
+ * Portability and readability are the main motivations for having streams in the Cobra language.
+ * See also: [http://cobra-language.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=216 "Streams" discussion]