Re: about table.insert return value (==nil)

[frank <frank@...>]

Ico wrote:
> * On 2009-12-20 frank <frank@frankhirsch.net> wrote  :
> > [...]
> > Giving back the table as return value from table.insert would:
> >  - enable "sometable=table.insert(sometable or {},newelement)"
> >  - not break existing code
> >  - probably not significantly impact performance
> >
> > So, why not?
>
> I guess the other 'logical' behaviour would be to return the newly
> inserted element instead of the table:
>
>   thing = table.insert(sometable, new_thing())
>
> Maybe neither is implemented because they're both equaly logical ?

Even without arguing which possibility feels more natural, if the
performance impact is as low as I imagine (very nearly none) then
it would make sense to return whichever instead of neither.

So I submit to establish the feasibility to return a value first,
and commence the argument over what should be returned second... =)

Regards, Frank