Difference between revisions of "Key-value apply"
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The solution:
(Why we did this.) |
BrettGiles (talk | contribs) (Clean up to make more like a how-to, move context to talk page) |
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+ | ==The problem / code == |
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− | I just wrote this function: |
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+ | Consider the function: |
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<haskell> |
<haskell> |
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</haskell> |
</haskell> |
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− | + | This takes a list of key/value pairs and processes it as follows: |
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* The function is given a key to look for. |
* The function is given a key to look for. |
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* If the key is ''not'' found, it is inserted (at the correct place) with a specified 'default value'. |
* If the key is ''not'' found, it is inserted (at the correct place) with a specified 'default value'. |
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− | Notice that if you start with a completely empty list, you can call <hask>apply</hask> several times and you will end up with a sorted list. |
+ | Notice that if you start with a completely empty list, you can call <hask>apply</hask> several times and you will end up with a sorted list. <hask>apply</hask> uses the fact that the list is sorted to cut the search short in the 'I can't find it' case - hence the <hask>Ord</hask> context. |
+ | However, Haskell already provides this and much more functionality. |
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− | Does a function like this already exist somewhere? (Hoogle seems to indicate not.) Is this a special case of something more general? Is there a better implementation? (The code isn't very readable at it is.) Can you think of a better name than just '<hask>apply</hask>'? Have you ever had call to use such a function yourself? |
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− | == Data.Map == |
+ | == The solution: <hask>Data.Map</hask> == |
− | When you are making excessive use of (key,value) pairs it is usually time to switch to <hask>Data.Map</hask>. |
+ | When you are making excessive use of (key,value) pairs it is usually time to switch to <hask>Data.Map</hask>. The <hask>apply</hask> function is almost the same as <hask>Data.Map.insertWith</hask>, only that function has the type: |
<haskell> |
<haskell> |
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insertWith :: Ord k => (a -> a -> a) -> k -> a -> Map k a -> Map k a |
insertWith :: Ord k => (a -> a -> a) -> k -> a -> Map k a -> Map k a |
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</haskell> |
</haskell> |
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Here the update function receives the new value as well. |
Here the update function receives the new value as well. |
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− | --[[User:Twanvl|Twanvl]] |
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− | - |
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− | Thanks for the tip! A whole new module for me to learn. My oh my... I do love the way Haskell type signatures almost tell you what the whole function does! |
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− | |||
− | [[User:MathematicalOrchid|MathematicalOrchid]] 19:27, 15 February 2007 (UTC) |
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− | |||
− | == Outer Context == |
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− | |||
− | This function actually occurred in the definition of a larger utility. It has the type |
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− | |||
− | <haskell> |
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− | decode :: (Eq k) => [([k],[v])] -> [k] -> [v] |
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− | </haskell> |
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− | This takes a large input, searches the lookup table for the longest possible matching key, and returns the corresponding value. It then processes the rest of the input the same way. |
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− | The <hask>apply</hask> function above occurs because the case actually transforms the <hask>[([k],[v])]</hask> into a ''tree'' to facilitate faster searching. (I gather that <hask>Data.Map</hask> does the exact same thing - but it's already implemented for you!) |
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− | |||
− | Is a function like <hask>decode</hask> already out there somewhere? |
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+ | [[Category:How to]] |
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[[Category:Code]] |
[[Category:Code]] |
Latest revision as of 18:36, 16 February 2007
The problem / code
Consider the function:
apply :: (Ord k) => k -> v -> (v -> v) -> [(k,v)] -> [(k,v)]
apply k v f ds =
let (p1,px) = span ( (k >) . fst) ds
(p2,p3) = case px of
[] -> ((k,v),[])
(x:xs) -> if fst x == k
then ((k, f $ snd x), xs)
else ((k, v), x:xs)
in p1 ++ (p2 : p3)
This takes a list of key/value pairs and processes it as follows:
- The function is given a key to look for.
- If the key is found, a function is applied to the associated value.
- If the key is not found, it is inserted (at the correct place) with a specified 'default value'.
Notice that if you start with a completely empty list, you can call apply
several times and you will end up with a sorted list. apply
uses the fact that the list is sorted to cut the search short in the 'I can't find it' case - hence the Ord
context.
However, Haskell already provides this and much more functionality.
The solution: Data.Map
Data.Map
When you are making excessive use of (key,value) pairs it is usually time to switch to Data.Map
. The apply
function is almost the same as Data.Map.insertWith
, only that function has the type:
insertWith :: Ord k => (a -> a -> a) -> k -> a -> Map k a -> Map k a
Here the update function receives the new value as well.