[Info-vax] DCL's flaws (both scripting and UI)

[Jan-Erik Soderholm]

David Froble skrev den 2015-01-20 15:01:
> Jan-Erik Soderholm wrote:
>> David Froble skrev den 2015-01-20 04:06:
>>
>>> Stephen Hoffman wrote:
>>
>>>>
>>>> Key-value stores.  These are a form of an in-memory indexed file. Specify
>>>> the key, get the value.   BASIC doesn't have anything similar built into
>>>> the language, though some folks do use RMS indexed files here.
>>>
>>> Oh, you mean like a doubly dimensioned array, or other structure, where I
>>> can load up some key-value pairs, then invoke a routine or code to take a
>>> key value and return the associated value?
>>>
>>> Different name for the same old things that have been done for many years.
>>> Perhaps refined, or specialized, but same thing as your description. Maybe
>>> for the old way someone actually has to know how to design and implement
>>> code ....
>>>
>>
>> A built-in standard data type in Python, "Dictionaries".
>>
>> https://docs.python.org/2/tutorial/datastructures.html#dictionaries
>>
>> No routines to write, just use it...
>>
>> Jan-Erik.
>>
>>
>
> Not quite that simple.  You still need to load the data.

OK, I'm lost... :-)

Should Python (or any other tool) make up the data from thin air?
*Any* construct would need to have the data loaded, not?

Don't be fooled by the example using hard coded values, they
doen't have to be, of course. But that you mujst understand.
It's just an exmaple, after all.

> You still need to request a pair (or pairs) match.

I do not understand that. A key corresponds to a value.
As expected for that specific data type. What is it that
you need to request?

> If I was to perform such, I think the
> amount of code would be similar.

What "code"? Is there a built in similar data type in Basic?

> But consider, anything "built in" was written by someone, and without it,
> the starting points would be the same.  To compare apples with apples,
> consider that in my environment the "tool" also exists.

So if I buy the same Basic compiler, it does exist?

>
> However, for the converse, let's say the specific tool does not exist in
> Python.

Why pretend that? It does.
It's included in the base Python standard.
Not specific for the VMS port, if that is what you think (?).
It is a Python standard data type on ay platform.

> Again, the starting point is equal.

OK, so a similar data type exist in the base Basic distribution?
I thought not.

> How hard will it be to implement the desired action?
> I cannot say, as I do not have expertise with Python.

It's there. Just use it.

Weird discussion...

Jan-Erik.