In using it in a named association array aggregate, its semantic are "and" --- e.g., some_1D_array := (1 | 3 | 7 => 5, others => 10) sets elements 1 and 3 and 7 to the value 5. In a case statement, its semantics are "or" --- e.g. when 1 | 3 | 7 => ...
any of the values 1, 3, or 7 for the case expression will select the ... code for execution. Is there a single name for that symbol (the | ) that seems to have different semantics depending on context?

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In using it in a named association array aggregate, its semantics are "and" --- e.g., some_1D_array := (1 | 3 | 7 => 5, others => 10) sets elements 1 and 3 and 7 to the value 5. In a case statement, its semantics are "or" --- e.g. when 1 | 3 | 7 => ...
any of the values 1or 3, or 7 for the case expression will select the ... code for execution. Is there a single name for that symbol (the | ) that seems to have different semantics depending on context?

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Matt Jaffe <[email protected]> writes:

In using it in a named association array aggregate, its semantic are
"and" --- e.g., some_1D_array := (1 | 3 | 7 => 5, others => 10) sets
elements 1 and 3 and 7 to the value 5. In a case statement, its
semantics are "or" --- e.g. when 1 | 3 | 7 => ... any of the values
1, 3, or 7 for the case expression will select the ... code for
execution. Is there a single name for that symbol (the | ) that seems
to have different semantics depending on context?

How about reading it like this (read with a fixed-width font):

a := ( 1 | 3 | 7 => 5, others => 10 )
if the index is one or three or seven then five else ten fi

Similar syntax appeared in Algol 68. | is frequently used for
"alternatives" -- it's just a question of what's being referred to.
Here, it's all the alternative indexes that map to a specific value.

--
Ben.

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On 2022-03-25 21:16, Matt Jaffe wrote:

In using it in a named association array aggregate, its semantics are
"and" --- e.g., some_1D_array := (1 | 3 | 7 => 5, others => 10) sets
elements 1 and 3 and 7 to the value 5. In a case statement, its
semantics are "or" --- e.g. when 1 | 3 | 7 => ... any of the values
1or 3, or 7 for the case expression will select the ... code for
execution.

That is a quirk of natural language, where "and" and "or" are used in non-mathematical ways. You could as well describe the aggregate as
saying "if the index is 1 or 3 or 7, the element is 5", and you could
describe the case statement as saying "this when-branch is executed when
the case selector is 1 and 3 and 7".

As '|' is used in some logical formalisms for disjunction ("or"), and in syntactical notation (BNF) to separate alternatives, I tend to read it
as "or".

Is there a single name for that symbol (the | ) that seems
to have different semantics depending on context?

For the name, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical_bar, where
indeed "vertical bar" seems favoured. However, I'm pretty sure that I
have seen "solidus" used, too, but Wikipedia says that is a synonym for
"slash" (/). Wiktionary does not recognize "solidus" as a term for any punctuation mark.

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On 2022-03-25 20:04, Matt Jaffe wrote:

In using it in a named association array aggregate, its semantic are "and" --- e.g., some_1D_array := (1 | 3 | 7 => 5, others => 10) sets elements 1 and 3 and 7 to the value 5. In a case statement, its semantics are "or" --- e.g. when 1 | 3 | 7 => ...

any of the values 1, 3, or 7 for the case expression will select the ... code for execution. Is there a single name for that symbol (the | ) that seems to have different semantics depending on context?

ARM 2.1(15/3) (http://www.ada-auth.org/standards/aarm12_w_tc1/html/AA-2-1.html#I1201) says its
name in Ada is "vertical line".

--
Jeff Carter
"Alms for an ex-leper!"
Monty Python's Life of Brian
75

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On 25/03/2022 22:21, Jeffrey R.Carter wrote:

On 2022-03-25 20:04, Matt Jaffe wrote:

In using it in a named association array aggregate, its semantic are
"and" --- e.g., some_1D_array := (1 | 3 | 7 => 5, others => 10) sets
elements 1 and 3 and 7 to the value 5.  In a case statement, its
semantics are "or" --- e.g. when 1 | 3 | 7 => ...  any of the values
1, 3, or 7 for the case expression will select the ... code for
execution.  Is there a single name for that symbol (the |  ) that
seems to have different semantics depending on context?

ARM 2.1(15/3) (http://www.ada-auth.org/standards/aarm12_w_tc1/html/AA-2-1.html#I1201)
says its name in Ada is "vertical line".

Probably wrong, but for a Unix user since the last century, I call it 'pipe'


--
Chris

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On 25/03/2022 23:24, Chris Townley wrote:

Probably wrong, but for a Unix user since the last century, I call it
'pipe'

Or bar.

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On 26/03/2022 00:58, Luke A. Guest wrote:

On 25/03/2022 23:24, Chris Townley wrote:

Probably wrong, but for a Unix user since the last century, I call it
'pipe'

Or bar.

No that is for after work ;)


--
Chris

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Niklas Holsti <[email protected]d> writes:

For the name, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical_bar

The Unicode name is U+007C VERTICAL LINE, alias name vertical bar.

/ is U+002F SOLIDUS, alias names slash and virgule. I haven't heard of
the name "solidus" used for symbols other than /.

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"Luke A. Guest" <[email protected]> writes:

On 25/03/2022 23:24, Chris Townley wrote:

Probably wrong, but for a Unix user since the last century, I call
it 'pipe'

Or bar.

Emacs ada-mode grammar calls it BAR.

--
-- Stephe

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On Friday, March 25, 2022 at 4:24:49 PM UTC-7, Chris Townley wrote:

On 25/03/2022 22:21, Jeffrey R.Carter wrote:

On 2022-03-25 20:04, Matt Jaffe wrote:

In using it in a named association array aggregate, its semantic are
"and" --- e.g., some_1D_array := (1 | 3 | 7 => 5, others => 10) sets
elements 1 and 3 and 7 to the value 5. In a case statement, its
semantics are "or" --- e.g. when 1 | 3 | 7 => ... any of the values
1, 3, or 7 for the case expression will select the ... code for
execution. Is there a single name for that symbol (the | ) that
seems to have different semantics depending on context?

ARM 2.1(15/3) (http://www.ada-auth.org/standards/aarm12_w_tc1/html/AA-2-1.html#I1201) says its name in Ada is "vertical line".

Probably wrong, but for a Unix user since the last century, I call it 'pipe'

--
Chris

Well, non-judgmental type that I am, I'm not going to say you're "wrong", but pipe is the name and usage for that symbol when programming a Unix shell. It's semantics in Ada are quite different, so I don't think calling it pipe quite fits. (So I guess
I'm not a pipe-fitter either ;-)

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On Saturday, March 26, 2022 at 5:39:07 PM UTC-7, Stephen Leake wrote:

"Luke A. Guest" <[email protected]> writes:

On 25/03/2022 23:24, Chris Townley wrote:

Probably wrong, but for a Unix user since the last century, I call
it 'pipe'

Or bar.

Emacs ada-mode grammar calls it BAR.

--
-- Stephe

"Bar" sounds like the best alternative so far; I think that's what I'll use when talking to my students.

Thanks.

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