Re: [TF-LIB] COALESCE is an unhelpful choice of name

On 14 Nov 2009, at 05:41, Lee Feigenbaum wrote:

> Then again, that's what COALESCE means also, so this is a case of  
> once I think about it, none of the names make sense to me.

It has the advantage that if do a web search for the word "coalesce" a  
large number of the results are from SQL tutorials and documentation.

Alternatively we could have some "line noise" syntax. I understand  
that some recent languages (at least C♯, and I think recent Java?)  
have a "null coalescing operator", ??, but even as a C programmer who  
regularly uses ?: I don't consider that more friendly than the word  
coalesce.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Null_coalescing_operator e.g.

   ?x ?? (?y ?? 1) => COALESCE(?x, ?y, 1)
   [not sure if the parens are needed]

In short, if someone can think of a word that captures the concept  
well, then I'm happy to go with it, but picking a near-synonym of  
coalesce, when the word is in use in the industry would just be anti- 
social.

- Steve

-- 
Steve Harris, CTO, Garlik Limited
2 Sheen Road, Richmond, TW9 1AE, UK
+44(0)20 8973 2465  http://www.garlik.com/
Registered in England and Wales 535 7233 VAT # 849 0517 11
Registered office: Thames House, Portsmouth Road, Esher, Surrey, KT10  
9AD

Received on Saturday, 14 November 2009 06:38:29 UTC