[swift-evolution] [Review] SE-0101: Rename sizeof and related functions to comply with API Guidelines
Dave Abrahams
dabrahams at apple.com
Fri Jul 1 00:07:03 CDT 2016
on Thu Jun 30 2016, Matthew Johnson <matthew-AT-anandabits.com> wrote:
>> On Jun 30, 2016, at 8:12 PM, Dave Abrahams <dabrahams at apple.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>> on Thu Jun 30 2016, Matthew Johnson <matthew-AT-anandabits.com <http://matthew-at-anandabits.com/>> wrote:
>>
>
>>> Sent from my iPad
>>>
>>>> On Jun 30, 2016, at 6:59 PM, Erica Sadun via swift-evolution <swift-evolution at swift.org> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>> On Jun 30, 2016, at 5:47 PM, James Berry <jberry at rogueorbit.com> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Jun 30, 2016, at 4:05 PM, Dave Abrahams via swift-evolution <swift-evolution at swift.org> wrote:
>>>>>> on Thu Jun 30 2016, Erica Sadun <erica-AT-ericasadun.com> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On Jun 30, 2016, at 4:41 PM, Dave Abrahams <dabrahams at apple.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>> I mentioned this in a comment on the gist already, but I'm really not
>>>>>>>>> digging the "array" in `arraySpacing`. We've already moved from top-level
>>>>>>>>> "stride" to "memory layout spacing," gaining plenty of clarity. I'm
>>>>>>>>> skeptical that the "array" adds anything more. Moreover, it muddies the
>>>>>>>>> waters by mentioning a specific type (Array) in a context where you're
>>>>>>>>> querying the memory layout properties of another type.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> OK, I agree with that. If we have “alignment” rather than
>>>>>>>> “defaultAlignment,” I suppose we can have plain “spacing.”
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> No way to last-second sell you on interval rather than spacing?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> If you can explain why it's better.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> // Returns the least possible interval between distinct instances of
>>>>>>> /// `T` in memory. The result is always positive.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> For me, “interval” doesn't go with “size” and “alignment,” which are all
>>>>>> about physical distances and locations. There are all kinds of
>>>>>> “intervals,” e.g. time intervals.
>>>>>
>>>>> Hmm. Sounds like stride to me. stride or byteStride?
>>>>>
>>>>> James
>>>>
>>>> FAQ: "Why aren't you using the obvious phrase `stride` for something that clearly
>>>> returns the memory stride?"
>>>>
>>>> ANSWER: "As stride already has a well-established meaning in the standard library,
>>>> this proposal changes the name to spacing, providing a simple but correct name that
>>>> works well enough in its intended use. Measuring memory is sufficiently esoteric
>>>> that we prefer to reserve `stride` for a more common use case."
>>>
>>> Counter: some words have more than one well established meaning when
>>> used in different contexts. 'spacing' isn't too bad here (much better
>>> than 'arraySpacing') but sticking to the term of art 'stride' would be
>>> best IMO. As James mentioned, spacing implies empty space *between*
>>> items whereas stride matches the meaning of this property *exactly*
>>> (which is why it is the term of art).
>>>
>>> If a programmer can't distinguish between a 'stride' property on
>>> MemoryLayout and the 'stride' function they probably have no business
>>> doing anything which requires use of MemoryLayout in the first place.
>>
>> I don't believe that “stride” *is* the accepted term of art for this
>> meaning. I never heard of the idea of types having an intrinsic
>> “stride” until I arrived on the Swift project. That usage came from
>> “strideof.”
>>
>> If you all swear up and down that you've been talking about “the stride
>> of a type” for more than 2 years, I won't fight you on this.
>> Otherwise... well, I still won't fight; I'm being crushed by an
>> avalanche of bikesheds and I can't muster the energy ;->... but I'll
>> forever be plagued by doubts about the name.
>
> I was just throwing in my 2 cents and planned to leave it at that.
> The primary reason I chimed in is because I didn’t find the rationale
> in the “answer” compelling. This isn’t something I feel like bike
> shedding any further over either.
>
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stride_of_an_array
>
> Maybe stride isn’t as common as I thought it was (if it was I’m sure
> you would have heard of it before Swift) but it certainly predates
> Swift in usage.
But that's actually a different meaning altogether. Two “arrays” of
type T can have different strides. They're talking about taking a view
onto an underlying series of contiguous Ts that (potentially) skips over
elements.
--
Dave
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