+1 for Nullable (I have a .Net background). Data{T} seems like a very
generic name for a very specific concept. For people that have not read the
doc and would come across code that used this construct, the name wouldn’t
give the slightest hint what this might be about, whereas something like
Nullable would probably point people at least in the right direction (also,
much more googleable). I’m with your dislike for the name DataArray, again I
think that is a generic name that doesn’t point people to what it might
mean. Maybe better to rename DataArray to something like NullableArray? I
guess the really nice syntax would just be that Array{Nullable{Float64}}
would end up creating the same thing as a DataArray right now, but as far as
I understand the type system that wouldn’t work, right?

 

Cheers, David

 

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On
Behalf Of John Myles White
Sent: Thursday, July 31, 2014 10:06 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [julia-users] OptionTypes.jl

 

Yeah, that's a good idea. I'd kind of like to call this something like
Nullable since I'm not a huge fan of the name DataArray, but consistency is
an important thing to maintain.

 

 -- John

 

On Jul 31, 2014, at 10:04 AM, Bob Nnamtrop <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]> > wrote:





What about naming it the Data{T} type instead of Option{T} (or Optional{T}).
Seems to fit in the DataArray{T} theme better and gives me a better idea
what it is from the name (at least once one knows about DataArrays).

Bob

 

On Thu, Jul 31, 2014 at 10:56 AM, John Myles White <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]> > wrote:

Julia, I think your naming suggestions will be more impactful if you're
careful to describe your opinions in terms of your subjective preferences,
rather than in terms of objective facts. Describing something as "more
intuitive" isn't a very effective rhetorical strategy if others don't
already share your intuitions. Rather than assert that X is more intuitive,
it would be great to demonstrate why your preferred name could be more
intuitive.

 

Just my two cents about effective argumentation strategies.

 

 -- John

 

On Jul 31, 2014, at 8:28 AM, Júlio Hoffimann <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]> > wrote:





One suggestion is to have it named as the more intuitive Optional{T}.

Júlio.

 

 

 

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