Computer science Template‑class | ||||||||||||||
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This bottom-style navbox template is intended to organize the articles about computer science data types.
Data types are a programming language concept, and should not be confused with the mathematical concepts that they (try to) emulate, nor the internal representation (encodings and data strcutures) that are used to implement them. Thus, for example, tuple is a mathematical concept; record (computer science) is both a data type in many languages and a data strcuture. Linked list and Tree (computer science) are data structures, while list (computing) is an abstract data type or abstract data structure that may be a data type in some languages. Also twos complement is one possible representation of the data type integer (computer science) which is an emulation of a mathematical integer. Admittedly, the dividing line between data types and data strcutures is often blurred, but there is a Template:Data structures for data strcutures.
I propose that this template only lists only the most common data types and "top-level" articles, leaving the specialized versions to be accessed through them. So, for example, unsigned integer should not be listed directly; readers can get to it either through the integer (computer science), or through the "Data types" category. Trying to list all data types that have ever been used in any programming language would make the list too big and turn it into a duplicte of the category page, frustrating the very purpose of the navbox (provide a structured access to the subject). It would also make this navbox hard to maintain. On the other hand, given its low profile, this navbox can probably be included in almost every article in the "Data types" category.
All the best, -- Jorge Stolfi ( talk) 15:44, 9 May 2009 (UTC)
I find the classification of Stream and Exception as datatypes questionable. -- Cybercobra ( talk) 03:52, 10 May 2009 (UTC)
"Cons cell" is not a data type. It is a special case of record (like complex, interval, rational, and infinitly many more), or like the nodes of a linked list. Jus as "node of lined list" does not deserve an article, a "cons cell" does not either. Besides the cons article is more about the cons function than the data type. The main built-in LISP data type is S-expression, not cons cell, and should be listed as such. All the best, -- Jorge Stolfi ( talk) 17:30, 10 May 2009 (UTC)
Bignum is not a distinct type; like short integer and unsigned integer, it is a flavor of integer (computer science) --- and also of floating point, rational data type, interva, etc. All the best, -- Jorge Stolfi ( talk) 17:33, 10 May 2009 (UTC)
Check the navbox at the bottom of carbon monoxide poisoning. If we have to expand this navbox, that may be a good way to do it.
However, the work spent on editing navboxes (-8 and fighting about whether a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable 8-) would be much better spent editing the data type articles themselves --- some are ina very sorry state. All the best, -- Jorge Stolfi ( talk) 18:35, 10 May 2009 (UTC)
Intuitively, some of those are primitive data types, but that article seems hotly contested. Also, first-class function is actually defined using a type constructor (the arrow), so it's not clear that it qualifies as primitive, although this type constructor is built-in with special meaning; but then so are other type constructors like * in product type. We need to look for some refs for terminology; always a big hassle. Pcap ping 05:18, 18 August 2009 (UTC)
Template is missing inductive type and equality type. 99.153.64.179 ( talk) 18:47, 26 June 2013 (UTC)
I left single link to bit because previous links were imprecise compared to Template:Information units. It is wrong to keep silent about platform-dependency at Template talk:Data types. Ushkin N ( talk) 11:43, 19 July 2016 (UTC)
Just wondered whether timestamp data types should be included in this template? Perhaps that depends on the underlying page being present? But the subpage on digital timestamps should suffice in the interim? HTH. RobbieIanMorrison ( talk) 16:04, 23 November 2018 (UTC)
Computer science Template‑class | ||||||||||||||
|
This bottom-style navbox template is intended to organize the articles about computer science data types.
Data types are a programming language concept, and should not be confused with the mathematical concepts that they (try to) emulate, nor the internal representation (encodings and data strcutures) that are used to implement them. Thus, for example, tuple is a mathematical concept; record (computer science) is both a data type in many languages and a data strcuture. Linked list and Tree (computer science) are data structures, while list (computing) is an abstract data type or abstract data structure that may be a data type in some languages. Also twos complement is one possible representation of the data type integer (computer science) which is an emulation of a mathematical integer. Admittedly, the dividing line between data types and data strcutures is often blurred, but there is a Template:Data structures for data strcutures.
I propose that this template only lists only the most common data types and "top-level" articles, leaving the specialized versions to be accessed through them. So, for example, unsigned integer should not be listed directly; readers can get to it either through the integer (computer science), or through the "Data types" category. Trying to list all data types that have ever been used in any programming language would make the list too big and turn it into a duplicte of the category page, frustrating the very purpose of the navbox (provide a structured access to the subject). It would also make this navbox hard to maintain. On the other hand, given its low profile, this navbox can probably be included in almost every article in the "Data types" category.
All the best, -- Jorge Stolfi ( talk) 15:44, 9 May 2009 (UTC)
I find the classification of Stream and Exception as datatypes questionable. -- Cybercobra ( talk) 03:52, 10 May 2009 (UTC)
"Cons cell" is not a data type. It is a special case of record (like complex, interval, rational, and infinitly many more), or like the nodes of a linked list. Jus as "node of lined list" does not deserve an article, a "cons cell" does not either. Besides the cons article is more about the cons function than the data type. The main built-in LISP data type is S-expression, not cons cell, and should be listed as such. All the best, -- Jorge Stolfi ( talk) 17:30, 10 May 2009 (UTC)
Bignum is not a distinct type; like short integer and unsigned integer, it is a flavor of integer (computer science) --- and also of floating point, rational data type, interva, etc. All the best, -- Jorge Stolfi ( talk) 17:33, 10 May 2009 (UTC)
Check the navbox at the bottom of carbon monoxide poisoning. If we have to expand this navbox, that may be a good way to do it.
However, the work spent on editing navboxes (-8 and fighting about whether a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable 8-) would be much better spent editing the data type articles themselves --- some are ina very sorry state. All the best, -- Jorge Stolfi ( talk) 18:35, 10 May 2009 (UTC)
Intuitively, some of those are primitive data types, but that article seems hotly contested. Also, first-class function is actually defined using a type constructor (the arrow), so it's not clear that it qualifies as primitive, although this type constructor is built-in with special meaning; but then so are other type constructors like * in product type. We need to look for some refs for terminology; always a big hassle. Pcap ping 05:18, 18 August 2009 (UTC)
Template is missing inductive type and equality type. 99.153.64.179 ( talk) 18:47, 26 June 2013 (UTC)
I left single link to bit because previous links were imprecise compared to Template:Information units. It is wrong to keep silent about platform-dependency at Template talk:Data types. Ushkin N ( talk) 11:43, 19 July 2016 (UTC)
Just wondered whether timestamp data types should be included in this template? Perhaps that depends on the underlying page being present? But the subpage on digital timestamps should suffice in the interim? HTH. RobbieIanMorrison ( talk) 16:04, 23 November 2018 (UTC)