Raul Miller wrote: > On Thu, Sep 3, 2009 at 4:22 PM, James C Field<[email protected]> wrote: > >> What do you want the "fill" marker to be? >> Blank fill for character or zero fill for integer? Real or imaginary? >> Perhaps a simple extension such as used in APL TAKE. >> > > I do not understand how your question relates to what I > want: What is a "marker"? > > But, yes, fill would be 0 for numbers, space for characters > and ace for boxes. > > A MARKER in my conception is an indication in or of a data field that no data is present or offered. Data is simply absent. Programmers frequently employ subterfuges or special flags or tags to indicate that there is no data in a field. Theis practice could be characterised as a kludge.
NO DATA should be a universally understood condition in data storage and retrieval. APL take used zero and blank as fill. I propose that NO DATA should be a useful alternative fill. Obviously this is complicated in its implications but, I think, worth thought. Jim ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
