2009/10/31 Nicolas Cellier <nicolas.cellier.aka.nice at gmail.com>:
> 2009/10/31 Bert Freudenberg <bert at freudenbergs.de>:
>>
>> On 30.10.2009, at 19:13, Nicolas Cellier wrote:
>>
>>> 2009/10/30 Nicolas Cellier <nicolas.cellier.aka.nice at gmail.com>:
>>>>
>>>> 2009/10/30 Eliot Miranda <eliot.miranda at gmail.com>:
>>>> currently it is a 3 stages rocket:
>>>>
>>>> Array with: 1. -> #(1)
>>>> Array with: 1 at 2. -> {1 at 2}
>>>> Array with: OrderedCollection new. -> an Array(an OrderedCollection())
>>>>
>>>>> prints as { OrderedCollection () } than #(OrderedCollection ()).  The
>>>>> first
>>>>> is a syntax error but the second is completely ambiguous (i.e. evaluates
>>>>> to
>>>>>  #(#OrderedCollection #())).
>>>>> So I don't see the need to provide isSelfEvaluating.  isLiteral gives
>>>>> you
>>>>> all that you need to avoid printing an Array as a literal when it isn't.
>>>>>  And if you've drunk the braces kool aid (which I have, while studying
>>>>> my
>>>>> agrippa) you're happy with Arrays printing themselves as brace
>>>>> constructs
>>>>> naively even when the naive print produces non-code.
>>>>
>>>> That's a fair and simple approach.
>>>>
>>>
>>> I gave it a try, now every Array print as #( ... ) if literal, { ... }
>>> otherwise
>>> Please vote
>>
>> I like the self-evaluating print string. It's useful for interactive use and
>> debugging. Plus shorter, usually.
>>
>> - Bert -
>>
>
> Hi Bert,
>
> You don't loose it.
> Array that previously printed as literal #( .. ) still do
> Array that previously printed with braces { .. } (isSelfEvaluating) still do.
> Array that did print anArray( ... ) now print using { ... }
> So, you only loose quick identification of Array that can't be
> re-evaluated to itself
>
> Note that isSelfEvaluating is plenty implementors for 1 sender, and
> was not correct anyway, and would be overkill to correct
> A killing example:
>    (Array with: (0 at 0 extent: 1 at 1) -> 0)
> So that was the rationale to trade off quick identification
>
> Is this acceptable ?
>
>

My 2 cents.

Again, this #isXXXX pattern..
As someone noted before: don't ask - tell.
If array wants to print itself as an array literal, why not tell all
its elements to print as literals inside the array?
Something like
#printAsLiteralOn:
which prints the object on stream, and returns a boolean which is
false if printed result can't be represented as a literal inside
array.
Then a wrapping #printOn: can choose to use {} syntax, if any of
elements failed to print as pure literal.


-- 
Best regards,
Igor Stasenko AKA sig.