Re: Changes to table length

["Soni L." <fakedme@...>]

On 20/08/16 09:01 PM, Martin wrote:
> On 16-08-20 03:34 AM, Soni L. wrote:
> > Each C API function
> > should handle length on its own way.
> Ok.
>
> 1. Will "table.insert(t, el)" and "t[#t+ 1] = el" remain equivalent?

No. The latter shall be a syntax error ("unexpected symbol near '#'").

> 2. Can you offer length algorithm that is O(1). Id est consumes constant
> time to determine sequence length of table?

Let's break this question down:

"Can you offer length algorithm"

No.

"that is O(1). Id est consumes constant time to determine sequence 
length of table?"

Yes.

> 2.1 Because something like
>
> local len = 1
> while (t[len] ~= nil) do
>    len = len + 1
> end
> return len
>
> is O(n) and behaves like C's strlen().

You should probably return len - 1. Otherwise {} has len 1 and {1} has 
len 2.

> I'm getting tired or assertions that Lua "should" something. It's not.

Tables shall be k/v pairs. The concept of an "array" shall be userland.

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