Scheme language standardization process
On 07/01/2012 05:01 PM, John Cowan wrote: > Per Bothner scripsit: > >> An true bi-directional port is one where you can read a "record", >> modify it, and write it back. If the port is seekable, the input >> and output positions are tied. > > I don't see how these can both be true unless the port is indeed > seekable. If I read, modify, and then write, the write goes after the > point read from unless I first seek back to before the read. There can be an API that supports read-modify-write. But that again would require non-standard extensions. A true bi-directional port is indeed likely to be seekable, like Java's RandomAccessFile. Regardless, I contend the concept of a port where "it is useful to close the input and output sides separately" is bogus. What people are really talking about is a "connection" (for example a socket object) which is a different kind of object that has two *separate* ports, usually in addition to other state. -- --Per Bothner per@x http://per.bothner.com/ _______________________________________________ Scheme-reports mailing list Scheme-reports@x http://lists.scheme-reports.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/scheme-reports