Re: Definition of table.insert

[David Kastrup <dak@...>]

Axel Kittenberger <axkibe@gmail.com> writes:

> Proposal a function table.icopy(table, src, dest, n) which replaces
> the need for insert and remove.

One could instead just give table.insert a fourth argument defaulting to
#table in case that one messes around with table bad enough that #table
is not going to be a reliable end of range indicator.

But I don't see that this leads anywhere sensible.  If one wants to
maintain tables with holes, one should create a _proper_ hole value
different from nil and/or overload #table.  nil is _not_ a proper table
element value, and it gives the table implementation a _wrong_
indication about where the continuous section is supposed to end.

Putting nil in continuously maintained arrays will cause vast
performance problems and unpredictabilities.

Just don't.  nil is there for a reason, and that reason is _explicitly_
not being a table element.

-- 
David Kastrup