[Python-Dev] re: Using lists as sets

[Jean-Claude Wippler]

gvwilson@nevex.com wrote:
> 
> [After discussion with Ping, and weekend thought]

[good stuff]

Allow me to offer yet another perspective on this.  I'll keep it short.

Python has sequences (indexable collections) and maps (associative
collections).  C++'s STL has vectors, sets, multi-sets, maps, and
multi-maps.

I find the distinction between these puzzling, and hereby offer another,
somewhat relational-database minded, categorization as food for thought:

- collections consist of objects, each of them with attributes
- the first N attributes form the "key", the rest is the "residue"
- there is also an implicit position attribute, which I'll call "#"
- so an object consists of attributes: (K1,K2,...KN,#,R1,R2,...,RM)
- one more bit of specification is needed: whether # is part of the key

Let me mark the position between key attributes and residue with ":", so
everything before the colon marks the uniquely identifying attributes.

  A vector (sequence) is:  #:R1,R2,...,RM
  A set is:                K1,K2,...KN:
  A multi-set is:          K1,K2,...KN,#:
  A map is:                K1,K2,...KN:#,R1,R2,...,RM
  A multi-map is:          K1,K2,...KN,#:R1,R2,...,RM

And a somewhat esoteric member of this classification:

  A singleton is:          :R1,R2,...,RM

I have no idea what this means for Python, but merely wanted to show how
a relational, eh, "view" on all this might perhaps simplify the issues.

-jcw