Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jpl-devvax!lwall
From: lwall@jpl-devvax.JPL.NASA.GOV (Larry Wall)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl
Subject: Re: inlining your sort subroutine
Message-ID: <10521@jpl-devvax.JPL.NASA.GOV>
Date: 24 Nov 90 20:41:41 GMT
References: <109155@convex.convex.com>
Reply-To: lwall@jpl-devvax.JPL.NASA.GOV (Larry Wall)
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
Lines: 18

In article <109155@convex.convex.com> tchrist@convex.com (Tom Christiansen) writes:
: Instead of having to doing this:
: 
:     sub numerically { $a <=> $b; }
:     @out = sort numerically @in;
: 
: wouldn't this be nice:
: 
:     @out = sort { $a <=> $b; } @in;

It would be possible, but apart from the problem you mentioned of making it
hard to find the list, I also think people should occasionally be encouraged
to name their abstractions.

Of course, the fact that it would be hard to implement has nothing to
do with it...  :-)

Larry