> Do change 'NaN error' to either 'domain error' (preferred) or '_. error' .
It is advantageous to have a message for "NaN error" distinct from "domain error", so that when you get one of them you don't have to puzzle over what kind of domain error it was. In a sense they are all domain errors, but it is helpful to have "rank error", "index error", etc. and now "NaN error". As for the exact spelling of the message, you can change it to whatever you like via 9!:9 . ----- Original Message ----- From: Henry Rich <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Sunday, February 24, 2008 9:40 Subject: RE: [Jbeta] Use of the name 'NaN' deprecated To: 'Beta forum' <[email protected]> > I think you are replying to a different argument than the > one I was trying to make. > > I wasn't suggesting that _. be 'above that' in the sense of > following certain J-defined rules independent of the > IEEE spec. That would be OK but if it's too hard, > let it go. > > I am happy with all the implementation decisions you have made. > I am particularly happy with raising error when _. would > be created. > > My only objection is to using the name 'NaN'. Maybe you use > a NaN for _., but I see no reason to pollute the documentation > with that term. I AM suggesting that the language spec be > 'above that', because NaN is a new and unnecessary concept > within J numbers. > > And _. IS a number. qbeta tells me so: > > 9!:14'' > j602/beta/2008-02-22/22:30 > 3!:0 (_.) > 8 > > Don't change a line of code. Do change the doc of 128!:5 > to say > it checks for the presence of _. rather than of NaN. Do change > 'NaN error' to either 'domain error' (preferred) or '_. error' . > > The only appearance of NaN in the docs should be the one in _., > which is > > The indeterminate _. is provided to aid in dealing with > NaN (not a number) in data from external sources... > > This makes clear that NaN is IEEE, not J. Occam's razor. > > Henry Rich ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
