Re: Assignment Vs conditions

: I have an idea...  How about using the apply element as the following:
: 
: <apply>
:   <ci>y</ci>
:   <ci>x</ci>
: </apply>
: 
: Where the above means, "Apply y to x," 
yes
: or "Make x the value of y," 
no
: or "x=y".
no

MathML, like any other language, starts to lose any meaning if you take
standard constructs and use them for totally different meanings.
If you can read the above as x=y then you can presumably read

<apply>
  <sin/>
  <ci>x</ci>
</apply>

as sin=x and so no content mathml expression will mean the same for you
as it does for anyone else.

If you want to have an assignment operator and mathml doesn't provide
one then the extension mechanism is to use csymbol as in
I have an idea...  How about using the apply element as the following:

<apply>
  <csymbol definitionURL="URI to your description of the semantics of
  assign">assign</csymbol>
  <ci>y</ci>
  <ci>x</ci>
</apply>


or if you think assignment is a form of equality then
<apply>
  <eq definitionURL="URI to your description of the semantics of
  assign"/>
  <ci>y</ci>
  <ci>x</ci>
</apply>



David



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Received on Friday, 26 April 2002 19:10:05 UTC