Re: Storing data and code in a Db with LISP-like interface

> > ... if two functions contain the same expression
> > [ie (select john like *)] that expression is normalized (automatically
> > by db engine) as are it's sub elements down to the level of symbols.
> >
>
> Should be interesting to see how you deal with lexical scopes. :-)

If the db contains like as an emotion and like as a comparator, the user would need to use an appropriate expression that specifies like an emotion, like a comparator, or both or the first one entered in the db. Below I show how to do each (which assumes appropriate data has been entered beforehand).

// Select john like (an emotion) something. (select john

        (and (select emotion instance *)
             (select * name (select * symbol 'car')))
        *)

// Select john like (a comparator) something. (select john

        (and (select comparator instance *)
             (select * name (select * symbol 'car')))
        *)

// Select john like (emotion or comparator) something. (select john

        (select * name (select * symbol 'car'))
        *)

// Select john like (first like entered in db) something. (select john like *)

Note that, as described in earlier posts expression element "like" is translated by parser into following (firstNode (select * name (firstNode (select * symbol (select 'c' 'a' 'r'))))) which roughly means select the first thing whose name's first symbol string is 'car'. Received on Tue Apr 04 2006 - 03:40:15 CEST