Insert requires special treatment not just for atoms but for arrays with less than 2 items. That is the nature of insert -- how do you do it if there are no places for you to "insert between the items".
----- Original Message ----- From: Oleg Kobchenko <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Wednesday, April 4, 2007 5:27 pm Subject: Re: [Jgeneral] Need a word for a non-atomic array > Though it was not a serious suggestion, atom may be > thought of as "degenerate", as compared to arrays of > positive rank, in a few senses: it has an empty shape, > it is not a list and thus can be thought of either > having no items or being its own item, etc. > > As a result it needs special treatment in operations > like # Tally and / Insert, etc. > > To answer Henry's question, I believe that requirement > of having arrays of positive rank is so rare and the distinction > is so important that it is worth to spell it out > every time it is used. A new word would > require a separate definition, reference to and awareness of it > that it will make things even more complicated. > E.g. composite may suggest non-boxed, non-degenerate or > proper may suggest non-empty, etc. > > --- Raul Miller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > On 4/4/07, Roger Hui <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > In what ways are atoms degenerate or improper? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
