Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!cs.uoregon.edu!ogicse!verdix!qtc!stevew
From: stevew@qtc.UUCP (Steve Weston)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: A question about the use of "rep" in class names
Keywords: rep, classes
Message-ID: <2239@qtc.UUCP>
Date: 1 May 91 20:59:15 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Quantitative Technology Corp., Beaverton, OR
Lines: 13


I have a question that has been nagging me for some time.
Several books on C++ ("Programming in C++" by Dewhurst and Stark,
and "The C++ Answer Book" by Tony Hanson) make use of classes with
"rep" in the name for implementing reference counting schemes.
Dewhurst and Stark have a String_rep class, and Hanson has vrep and
mrep classes for vector and matrix classes.  Is the similar
terminology a coincidence, or does it come from some language, such
as Lisp, or some classic work, such as Knuth?  What does "rep" mean,
and what is its history?

Steve Weston
uunet!sequent!qtc