On 9 April 2011 03:59, Don Guinn <[email protected]> wrote: > ... What??? What is a variable if you can't change its > value? If you can't change its value then it's not a variable.
In any language, a variable is a binding of a name to a value (in a context). In a purely functional language that binding is immutable. In other words, the name is but a label of some value, and of that value alone. So you are right, the word `variable' is misleading. But after all, it came to programming from mathematics, where it has precisely the same use -- as a label. So if someone is to blame, it's Mr. Math, not Mr. Haskell :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
