From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Ted Zlatanov Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.help Subject: Re: plists, alists, and hashtables Date: Tue, 04 Aug 2015 07:23:52 -0400 Organization: =?utf-8?B?0KLQtdC+0LTQvtGAINCX0LvQsNGC0LDQvdC+0LI=?= @ Cienfuegos Message-ID: <874mkfwb3r.fsf@lifelogs.com> References: <876150vwaa.fsf@mbork.pl> <873803x5q4.fsf@kuiper.lan.informatimago.com> <87a8u7we9s.fsf_-_@lifelogs.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: plane.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain X-Trace: ger.gmane.org 1438687522 1208 80.91.229.3 (4 Aug 2015 11:25:22 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2015 11:25:22 +0000 (UTC) To: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org Original-X-From: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Tue Aug 04 13:25:22 2015 Return-path: Envelope-to: geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([208.118.235.17]) by plane.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1ZMaLQ-0004sh-3h for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Tue, 04 Aug 2015 13:25:20 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([::1]:34646 helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1ZMaLP-0006pn-EA for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Tue, 04 Aug 2015 07:25:19 -0400 Original-Path: usenet.stanford.edu!news.kjsl.com!feeder.erje.net!1.eu.feeder.erje.net!news.albasani.net!.POSTED!not-for-mail Original-Newsgroups: gnu.emacs.help Original-Lines: 24 Original-X-Trace: news.albasani.net t0VAt8p7QiGWZyArrkJ8TiToT3GhXe+hKRWjIuEpC4LE/6+bQZjQltXPK9YQwnmsJ7Fwu8e++RKiDw2HQzohMg== Original-NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2015 11:23:52 +0000 (UTC) Injection-Info: news.albasani.net; logging-data="HU/PL4XRhBRzUwTJGAZivkLAqhBOcE8Bgj0idsW4pip2bzMdzgRsap8idVEZ+F9n/BbQQacKoIf1ObGMizI7YcNHDmBEOgM61hcOzHUhg74Mww7asgF0d/jyMi1nGqcK"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@albasani.net" User-Agent: Gnus/5.130012 (Ma Gnus v0.12) Emacs/25.0.50 (gnu/linux) X-Face: bd.DQ~'29fIs`T_%O%C\g%6jW)yi[zuz6; d4V0`@y-~$#3P_Ng{@m+e4o<4P'#(_GJQ%TT= D}[Ep*b!\e,fBZ'j_+#"Ps?s2!4H2-Y"sx" Cancel-Lock: sha1:PuYTDxW8QsruNSui9vEsvtH97z0= sha1:5nHcXtQ0qs/exqpKHLwzbpYX/3I= Original-Xref: usenet.stanford.edu gnu.emacs.help:213943 X-BeenThere: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.14 Precedence: list List-Id: Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Original-Sender: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.help:106228 Archived-At: On Tue, 4 Aug 2015 10:29:04 +0000 Nicolas Petton wrote: NP> On Tue Aug 4 11:15:27 2015 GMT+0100, Ted Zlatanov wrote: >> The real map type in Emacs Lisp is the hashtable, I think. But because >> of historical baggage, we end up discussing the benefits of two list >> formats when used as maps. Which feels like discussing which of two >> different bicycles is better for carrying 5 people. >> >> For instance, the hashtable keys are unambiguously >> (hash-table-keys my-hashtable) and there's no looping or parsing. >> >> I wonder, if hashtables had a better reader syntax (like plists or >> alists) and better Customize support, would they see wider use? NP> The new map.el library provides a common interface for both hashtables NP> and alists (as well as other key/value data structures). Maybe that NP> will make it easier for people to use hashtables? It's a nice API, but doesn't help with historical baggage (the dozens of tutorials that use lists as maps; the inertia on the mailing lists; the already-written code people will copy). I still think more is needed like I mentioned to reach a tipping point. Ted