On Mon, 2010-06-07 at 10:56 -0700, Reinier Zwitserloot wrote: [ . . . ] > The exact meaning of the word "closure" is of course hotly debated, > not properly defined, and especially in regards to working with some > obvious and logical constraints that must be adhered to if closures > are to be added to java, really a rather nebulous concept. I don't > really care how much you keep beating this drum of "My meaning is the > only right one and the rest of y'all are engaging in something I find > patently absurd" - it's you who is holding absurd notions here. How > to add closures to java is not a no-brainer. The meaning of the term > "closure" is like most other tech terms bastardized. Welcome to the > world. Our languages are living, mutating entities. I suggest you > learn to deal with it instead of go off on a rant every time.
The definition may be hotly debated in some circles (almost exclusively
Groovy and Python ones), but in most places the definition is well
understood and indeed well defined. From some dictionary or other:
. . . a closure is a data structure that holds an expression and
an environment of variable bindings in which that expression is
to be evaluated.
see also Simon L Peyton Jones, "The Implementation of Functional
Languages", Prentice-Hall, p.378, where different words are used but the
meaning is the same.
Language is indeed a living and mutating entity, but it much better not
to run headlong into "Humpty Dumpty Syndrome"
`When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful
tone, `it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more
nor less.'
In fact the meaning of a word is a social construct. Jargon is slightly
different in that there needs to be a common definition in order for the
term to be at all useful. There is currently a definition of closure
which works very well for almost all of the world of programming and
computing (except Groovy), let's stick to it.
--
Russel.
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Dr Russel Winder t: +44 20 7585 2200 voip: sip:[email protected]
41 Buckmaster Road m: +44 7770 465 077 xmpp: [email protected]
London SW11 1EN, UK w: www.russel.org.uk skype: russel_winder
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