[swift-evolution] [Review] SE-0023 API Design Guidelines

[Erica Sadun]

Current:
Use imperative verb phrases for mutating methods: x.reverse(), x.sort(), x.tweak()
Use noun phrases for non-mutating methods: x.distanceTo(...), idx.successor()
Proposed:
Use verb phrases to declare procedural methods, whether or not they mutate an instance or just produce side effects: x.reverse(), x.sort(), x.tweak(), x.perform(), x.dispatch(), x.send()
Use noun phrases to describe values returned by a functional method: x.distanceTo(y), index.successor() (This admittedly leaves further issues around other functional methods, for example, seq.separatedBySequence(seq) and  int.strideTo(other: Self, step:Self.Stride), etc. )
I suggest that mutating methods are just a procedural method (side effect, no return value) vs functional.

-- E


> On Jan 22, 2016, at 2:02 PM, Douglas Gregor via swift-evolution <swift-evolution at swift.org> wrote:
> 
> Hello Swift community,
> 
> The review of SE-0023"API Design Guidelines" begins now and runs through January 31, 2016. The proposal is available here:
> 
> https://github.com/apple/swift-evolution/blob/master/proposals/0023-api-guidelines.md <https://github.com/apple/swift-evolution/blob/master/proposals/0023-api-guidelines.md>
> Reviews are an important part of the Swift evolution process. All reviews should be sent to the swift-evolution mailing list at
> 
> https://lists.swift.org/mailman/listinfo/swift-evolution <https://lists.swift.org/mailman/listinfo/swift-evolution>
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> 
> Proposal link:
> 
> https://github.com/apple/swift-evolution/blob/master/proposals/0023-api-guidelines.md <https://github.com/apple/swift-evolution/blob/master/proposals/0023-api-guidelines.md>
> Reply text
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