[swift-evolution] Fixing the confusion between non-mutating algorithms and single-pass sequences

[Jonathan Hull]

> >>> Basically, I added back in a super-minimal protocol to fill the
> >>> structural gap left by Sequence.  I call it “IteratorProvider” and it
> >>> only has a single function which vends an iterator.  Collection
> >>> adheres to this, and Iterator adheres to it by returning itself.  All
> >>> of the other methods from Sequence remain on Iterator.  Thus anyone
> >>> with API that only needs a single pass would take a IteratorProvider
> >>> and then work on the iterator it provides.
> >> 
> >> That leaves us back where we are now: people will see that
> >> IteratorProvider is a simple, universal protocol for both single-and
> >> multi-pass sequences, write algorithm libraries that depend on
> >> multi-pass-ness, and test them with the most prevalent examples, which
> >> happen to be multi pass.
> >
> > Let me make a quick counter-argument, because I thought about it a
> > bit, and I don’t think it does have the same problem (especially with
> > careful/better naming).
> >
> > The difference is that the ONLY method on IteratorProvider is the one
> > to get an iterator.  There is no map, filter, sort, first, count, etc…
> > just a way to get a single-pass iterator.  This changes the mindset
> > when using it.  You are aware that you are getting a single-pass
> > iterator.
> 
> Maybe.  What's to stop people from extending IteratorProvider?

Nothing.  But that is true of any protocol.  I am ok with individual's extensions.  They would have to use that single method to build up from anyway, so presumably they would have to consider the single pass case in their extensions...



> > True, people might try to get the iterator a second time, but we can
> > make the iteratorProvider method optional (and trying to get an
> > iterator from an iterator which is spent would return nil) 
> > and then they are forced to deal with the case where it was
> > single-pass.
> 
> Now you can't loop over the same array multiple times.
I must be missing something.  Isn’t that the point?

I mean, your version is called “IterableOnce”.  Why do you want to iterate on IterableOnce more than once?  The point (at least in my mind) is to provide a common interface for things that we want to iterate over a single time.  If you want to iterate multiple times, use collection’s interface where you are guaranteed multi-pass.

That said, you actually can loop multiple times for collections by getting a new iterator from the provider (which could point to the same array storage).  The optional just forces you to check for the single-pass case.

I have a feeling like I am missing your true meaning here though...

Thanks,
Jon





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