From erich.neuwirth@univie.ac.at  Sun Jun 18 07:53:07 2000
From: erich.neuwirth@univie.ac.at (Erich Neuwirth)
Date: Sun, 18 Jun 2000 08:53:07 +0200
Subject: [Rd] design question
References: <Pine.GSO.4.05.10006171026400.12703-100000@auk.stats>
Message-ID: <394C71D3.B490F97A@univie.ac.at>

let me ask you as possibly very silly question.

what  would you think of a shorthand notation for anonymous fuctions in
arguments?

let me illustrate this in how mathematica does it.

mathematica has a function notation like R

Map[Function[x, x^2], {1, 2, 3}]

this can be abbreviated as
Map[#^2 &, {1, 2, 3}]

& indicates a function expression,
and # is the (one) anonymous argument.
functions with more that one arguments
(whch are positional) can be written as
#1  #2
and so on

here is an example
Outer[#1^2 + #2^2 &, {1, 2}, {3, 4}]

in some cases, this notation is quite convenient.
and since r is lexically scoped, it also should not be too dangerous.
what do our architects think about introducing this kind of notation
in r?



--
Erich Neuwirth, Computer Supported Didactics Working Group
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[Rd] design question
Erich Neuwirth