[Edu-sig] Re: In defense of 0, was Re: None potato, one potato, two potato, more..

[Trent Oliphant]

> 
>>So the indexing notation [n] could be considered shorthand for [n:n+1]? You
>>are taking a slice of len 1 starting at n?
>>
>>
> 
> 
> I would say it's the object that lays n cm from the beginning, but
> since each item is 1cm wide the effect is the same.  The first object
> is, of course, 0cm from the beginning.
> 

I know this is nit picking, and you yourself said you only use it 
explain to your scouts.  I would argue that the use of the model without 
the explaination of it being a form of shorthand would be contradictory 
with the fact that it takes a beginning and an ending to describe 
anything of any width.  The effect is indeed the same, but I think it 
makes other things much easier to understand if you complete the model. 
  Since you describe that each item has a width.  I think it makes 
slices easier to understand the notation.

I do like the model, because I have now been able to resolve the 
inconsitencies with the negative notation.

For example:

If I look at [-2] as shorthand for [-2:-1], it is no longer based on 0 
or 1 based indexing, but the item that starts at position 2 from the end 
of length one. ([-1] would be shorthand for [-1:])

Trent