Re: [boost] The 'head' and 'tail' of a type list

From: Andrei Alexandrescu (andrewalex_at_[hidden])
Date: 2001-12-04 15:03:22

> Andrei Alexandrescu [andrewalex_at_[hidden]] wrote:
> > From: "Geurt Vos" <G.Vos_at_[hidden]>
> > > Can anyone explain why the members of the type list
> > > template are called 'head' and 'tail'? I mean the
> > > type list template is merely a node in a linked list
> > > of types, where 'head' represents the content of the
> > > node, and 'tail' points to the next node.
> >
> > Typelists are much like well-formed LISP-lists, in which "head" is
> > an "atomic type" (non-typelist) and tail is actually another list,
> > or nil. So "next" would not be a good choice. Besides, head and tail
> > are quite consecrated for denoting this type of list.
> >
> > I don't think anyone would have liked 'car' and 'cdr' :o).
>
> How about 'first' and 'rest'?

Why gratuitously invent new terminology when there's terminology in place
that's well known.

Andrei