Re: vector and matrix calculations in core? (was: Re: Ramblings on "base class" for SV etc.)

[Bart Lateur]

On Wed, 09 Aug 2000 12:46:32 -0400, Dan Sugalski wrote:

>> >   @foo = @bar * @baz;

>Given that the default action of the multiply routine for an array in 
>non-scalar context would be to die, allowing user-overrides of the 
>functions would probably be a good idea... :)

[Is this still -internals? Or should we stop CC'ing?]

One problem: overloading requires objects, or at least one. Objects are
(currently) scalars. You can't make an array into an object.

Well, you can try:

        bless \@ary, 'Vector';
        print ref \@ary;

which says: 
        
        Vector

so you COULD get there in the end. A nicer syntax would be along the
proposed syntax of

        my Vector @ary;

but a problem is:

        @copy = @ary;

which only copies the items by value, as a list, and thus ignores the
blessing. @copy is a plain array.

-- 
        Bart.