Non-strict semantics: Difference between revisions

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* Jonathan Cast in Haskell Cafe about [http://www.haskell.org/pipermail/haskell-cafe/2007-November/034807.html What is the role of $! ?]
* Jonathan Cast in Haskell Cafe about [http://www.haskell.org/pipermail/haskell-cafe/2007-November/034807.html What is the role of $! ?]
* [[Lazy vs. non-strict]]


[[Category:Glossary]]
[[Category:Glossary]]

Revision as of 14:17, 19 November 2007

Non-strict semantics means that a function can have a definite value although its argument is undefined. E.g. in Haskell you get

Prelude> True || undefined
True

You will not be able to define a function or say in C which returns something if you pass an undefined value (e.g. one that is the result of an infinite loop). In fact, in or(true,infinite_loop()), the code of or will never be run. In Haskell it is possible because you Call by demand.

See also