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Re: XPath is NOT a functional language

2004-03-30 05:41:43
Its definatly a functional language...
an xpath expression is simply an interface to a series of function calls.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Kay" <mhk(_at_)mhk(_dot_)me(_dot_)uk>
To: <xsl-list(_at_)lists(_dot_)mulberrytech(_dot_)com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2004 1:38 PM
Subject: RE: [xsl] XPath is NOT a functional language


Actually, much though I would like to see functions supported as
first-class
objects within the type system, most of the definitions of the term
"functional language" do not require this concept, and are aligned with
the
way the XPath spec uses the term.

See for example http://www.google.com/search?q=define:functional+language

With Phil Wadler on the working group, we could hardly get away with using
the term in a way that's out of line with accepted definitions.

Michael Kay

-----Original Message-----
From: Colin Paul Adams 
[mailto:colin(_at_)colina(_dot_)demon(_dot_)co(_dot_)uk]
Sent: 30 March 2004 07:52
To: xsl-list(_at_)lists(_dot_)mulberrytech(_dot_)com
Subject: [xsl] XPath is NOT a functional language

I don't no whether to be amused or appalled (I incline to the later),
to see this near the beginning of the XPath 2.0 draft:

[Definition: XPath is a functional language, which means that
expressions can be nested with full generality. ]

SINCE WHEN?

If a function definition were an expression, then this statement would
be true, but you can't even define functions in XPath, let alone pass
there definitions around. Nor can you pass a QNAME to stand for the
function definition either.
--
Colin Paul Adams
Preston Lancashire

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