I'm not a C++ programmer and haven't kept up with its Templating capability, which I understand is quite sophisticated.
In Java I think that the closest equivalent is type parameterization. And that's really not what I'm after because a type-parameterized entity does not operate on its type parameters. The type parameters just instantiate it further. Also in Java one can pass comparison functions (actually objects) to a sort program. But that is independent of type parameterization. In Java, I think the first happens at compile time; the second happens at run time. I'm interested in things where the application of the function to the arbitrary objects happens at run time -- but not just because the language is dynamically typed(!).;. So if these are both aspects of Templating in C++, perhaps Templating is a bit too general for me. Sorry to be so picky. I have a pretty clear idea what I'm after and want something that picks it out as precisely as possible. -- Russ On Mon, Sep 7, 2009 at 4:10 PM, russell standish <r.stand...@unsw.edu.au>wrote: > In C++, such a thing is called a template (which may be an object or a > function), and the style of programming is called generic programming. > > I guess what you're objecing to is that these technical uses of the > terms do not seem to relate all that well to the usual English > meanings of the terms. > > PS, your example 3 seems to indicate that the standard C library sort > function is one of these, even thought its just a function. However, > the standard C++ sort function is actually a template, and far more > generally useful than the C version, which is also available as a > particular overload. > > On Mon, Sep 07, 2009 at 12:14:31PM -0700, Russ Abbott wrote: > > This is to the programmers on this list. > > > > I'm looking for a word that refers generically to software that is open > to > > virtually object in its host language. The best way for me to explain it > is > > with examples. > > > > - In Java, the various collection classes each have this property. A > List > > can be a list of anything. (Note that this isn’t about generics such > as > > List<type>. It’s about the fact that the List functionality does not > limit > > the sorts of things one can put into a list. Typed lists are simply a > way of > > ensuring that a program gets its types right. That's a separate > > consideration.) > > > > > > - Other examples include map and reduce in functional programming. > They > > are open if not to anything at least to lists of any sort and to > functions > > or any sort that operate on elements in those lists. > > > > > > - Another example is a genetic algorithm in that it does not limit the > > function that is used as a fitness function or the possible population > > elements. Again, these can be anything. > > > > So is there a generic word for software with this sort of "downwardly > open" > > property? > > > > It may be something like "structural" in that the software defines an > > operational structure but not the elements that occupy the structure. Is > > there any commonly used word for this? > > > > -- Russ > > > > P.S. This demonstrates that one can have an idea before having a word for > > the idea. > > > ============================================================ > > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org > > -- > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prof Russell Standish Phone 0425 253119 (mobile) > Mathematics > UNSW SYDNEY 2052 hpco...@hpcoders.com.au > Australia http://www.hpcoders.com.au > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- >
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