On Sat, Jan 29, 2011 at 11:44 PM, Artyom <artyomtnk@yahoo.com> wrote:
I wonder where you got that notion. I framed the discussion around my definition of `string` to be a sequence. In that context (in an earlier post) I was basically saying "a string is a data structure for holding things, [FOR EXAMPLE] a string of events, a string of characters, ..." just to frame the definition properly and identify that I was talking about a data structure.
And you snipped the part explaining that I used that statement for framing a discussion, as in laying down the foundations for arguments. *sigh*
I'm sorry:
Let's see:
- Java String - one meaning text, UTF-16 encoded
Nope, in Java a String is a data type that derives from Object which stores an immutable sequence of 16-bit characters. Not necessarily *text*, and it just so happens that it chooses the UTF-16 encoding. AFAIK you can still stuff arbitrary bytes when constructing a String object -- try reading from a binary file and see what I mean.
- C# string - one meaning text, UTF-16 encoded
Sequence of UTF-16 characters. Not sure if it's immutable.
- C++/GTKmm ustring - one meaning text, UTF-8 encoded
Sequence of characters, just so happens to be UTF-8 encoded.
- C++/Qt QString - one meaning text, UTF-16 encoded
Sequence of UTF-16 characters. May or may not be *text* i.e. I can still fill the buffer with *garbage*.
- C++/wxWidgets wxString - one meaning text, Unicode (don't remember encoding type)
Same thing, sequence of characters. Just so happens to choose a default encoding, but still you can fill the thing with garbage.
- Vala string - text UTF-8 encoded
I have no idea what a Vala string is.
- Python 3 str[ing] - text UTF-16 ot UTF-32 encoded
In Python 3 it chose to deal with strings as UTF-16 or UTF-32 (there's a move to make this largely transparent to the user depending on the platform) characters. I can still fill a str with garbage even in Python.
Is this clear enough?
I didn't get the point. You were enumerating these data types... to convince me that 'string' only denotes text?
When you say string you mean TEXT not more not less.
No, maybe *you* say string when TEXT is what you mean. I OTOH view a string as a sequence of characters for whatever suitable meaning of character exists. Also, TEXT can be represented in many different ways as well, not just with strings. And TEXT is largely a human idiom referring to letters and words visible on some medium. This has nothing to do with computers because to computers, guess what: it's all *bytes*.
And yes in C++ you can store arbitrary date in char buffers or in std::string, but this does not change the meaning of string word - it means "text"
No, sorry. I think really it's either bad computer science or bad English (or bad translation of concepts, FWIW).
Don't try to reinvent the meaning of string word in CS context. It is not about English, it is about concept.
And the concept of a string in computer science is a sequence of characters for whatever suitable definition of characters exist. -- Dean Michael Berris about.me/deanberris