Re: Basic Properties of Lists ("foreward")

[Mike Brenner <mikeb@mitre.org>]

"Foreword" is a wonderful example of ambiguity in the English language. It seems to be saying "towards the fore or front", but it sometimes means "from the fore or front". 

It is similar to situations like "is a North wind coming from the North or going towards the North", and is an inflammable pyjama "un-flame-able or is it enflame-able"? 

There ought to be a word for this particular kind of ambiguity.


> Ted Dennison wrote:
> > 
> > How about we use "Head" and "Tail" for terminology? In the final analysis I
> > don't think they are any more biased than "Front" and "Back". Plus those terms
> > are traditionally associated with lists, so they might be more acceptable to
> > Jeff. As an added bonus, I don't think anyone is liable to complain that it
> > ought to be "Tailward" and "Headward" instead. :-)
> 
> Or CAR and CDR, with associated CARward and CDRward directions :)
> 
> Head and Tail are OK. I'm primarily interested in being able to say
> things like
> 
> the list is sorted in ascending order
> 
> without adding confusing terminology about the direction of traversal
> needed to observe this property; Head -> Tail is implied. Saying the
> list is sorted when traversed Forward or Frontward is unclear.
> 
> Similarly, I'd like to be able to say
> 
> the previous element from position P
> 
> without adding a direction; the previous element is closer to the Head.
> Is the Forward neighbor of P closer to the Head or the Tail?
> 
> Maybe I'm just dense, but I find such terminology confusing.
> 
> -- 
> Jeffrey Carter