Re: The word "symbol"

dawn wrote:
>
> The question of whether to model integers used within software as
> subclasses of strings, for example, makes sense when we understand that
> 1234 is not a number, but a symbol for one, just as "David" is not a
> name, but a symbol for one (in response to VC's question about whether
> "symbol" and "name" are synonyms).

this is not correct, though. 1234 *is* a number. '1234' is a symbol for a number. you have to be clear about the distinction. '1234' is a string, but 1234 is an integer. Symbols and the things symbolized do not in general participate in a subtype relationship. (David is not a subtype of 'David'.)

Marshall Received on Sun Aug 14 2005 - 19:38:15 CDT