To Andrew: why do you say that rebol functions are a kind of rebol dialect? I thought they were more of a built-in type function! There are some special things that happen in a function that are all about binding params and locals, but I would be surprised if functions worked internally like the dialect that is in parse or view. If it works that way, it's a sheer revelation to me. In fact, how could you define a dialect without referring to other functions? Is that a chicken and egg kind of thing? To Everybody: in the examples given in this thread, there is none showing this obvious one using /local with func: somefunc: func [ n [integer!] /local tmp ][ tmp: n * n ;;; snipped rest of code ... ] I believe that internally 'function will just end up calling 'func and passing the block of locals as /local. If you make yourself a function f with 'function and then look at first :f, second :f and third :f, you will see that in first :f there is the param list with the locals defined with /local. I think this change appeared with Rebol2. -Galt p.s. although Rebol may be "interpreted", the body and params and etc. have been fully "load"-ed and that means they are like typed tokens and bound words that are ready to roll. It's not like a lot of simple interpreters which are converting straight from source as just a string of characters for each and every line. when the function definition is executed that baby creates the function! value and assigns it to the function's name word, and that value sure isnt just a string! of code. so that makes sense and the interpreter can run pretty fast. I am sure that it is the same with Logo, Lisp, Scheme, etc... I think the series type is also something that helps make Rebol fast. I don't recall seeing its like in those other cousins of Rebol. -Galt >===== Original Message From [EMAIL PROTECTED] ===== >Brett wrote: >> But I wonder if Rebol necessarily sees functions like this? Are they >perhaps a dialect that is interpreted? > >Rebol functions are a dialect and they are interpreted. > >Andrew Martin >ICQ: 26227169 >http://members.xoom.com/AndrewMartin/ >-><-
