Re: [boost] Re: string algorithms review

From: Beman Dawes (bdawes_at_[hidden])
Date: 2003-10-21 07:00:19

At 07:12 AM 10/21/2003, David Abrahams wrote:
 >"Thorsten Ottosen" <nesotto_at_[hidden]> writes:
 >
 >> As I said in my other post:
 >>
 >> php:       trim() does not modify the original.
 >> python:  strip() does not modify the original
 >> java:      trim() : does not modify the original ( even though it's a
 >member
 >> function; there's no equivalent in StringBuffer )
 >> eiffel:     prune() : mutates (member function)
 >> perl:      chomp: mutates
 >>
 >> I wouldn't say all languages agree. In java you can actually get the 
this
 >> pointer in some cases, so you will end up
 >> referencing the original. Some of the languages are probably not 
powerful
 >> enough to do what Pavol tried to do, so
 >> their design seems more like a *coincidence*, not a design.
 >
 >I don't think the fact that Python has immutable strings and Perl
 >mutates is coincidence.  It reflects fundamentals of their design
 >philosophies.

And gives yet another example of why language experts consider Python a 
generally safer language to use than Perl.

--Beman