[boost] Re: [string algo formal review]

From: Matthias Schabel (boost_at_[hidden])
Date: 2003-10-29 11:39:35

> Rob Stewart:
>
> > and there's no 0th.  One poster suggested that the year before
> > one's first birthday, is the 0th year.  Sorry, but I've never
> > heard anyone mention the 0th year of a child's life.
>
> No, but it's not till the following year that the child is one year 
> old.
>
> Alan
> -- 
> Alan Bellingham
> (LJ: Bellinghman)

What seems to be getting lost here is that, while you can choose any 
index to label the first element in a sequence, the concept of
first, second, ... , nth is one of relative order in which (see 
definition below) the first is the element preceding _all_ others.  For 
example, operator[index] returns the element corresponding to the 
specified index (where, in C convention, 0 corresponds to the first 
one) while nth_element(nth) should return the element in the 
appropriate ordinal position.  I don't think anyone would be confused 
if I said that
vector[0] is the first element...

 From Merriam-Webster (www.m-w.com) :

Main Entry: 1) first 


Pronunciation: 'f&rst
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English fyrst; akin to Old High  
German furist first, Old English faran to go -- more at FARE
Date: before 12th century
: preceding all others in time, order, or importance

------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
---------------------------
Matthias Schabel, Ph.D.                           	
Utah Center for Advanced Imaging Research
729 Arapeen Drive
Salt Lake City, UT  84108
801-587-9413 (work)
801-585-3592 (fax)
801-706-5760 (cell)
801-484-0811 (home)
mschabel at ucair med utah edu