Re^4: Seeking Perl docs about how UTF8 flag propagates

split returns a LIST, not an ARRAY.

It does not return a "LIST". There's no such data structure. As I said, it returns scalars, which is to say it adds scalars to the stack.

Colloquially, we do say it returns a list (of scalars). By that, we simply mean it returns (a number of) scalars.

Scalars is the only thing being returned. No list. No array.

(As for "LIST" spelled like that, the docs use this to refer to an expression evaluated in list context, such as the arguments to print. split most definitely does not return an expression.)

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Re^5: Seeking Perl docs about how UTF8 flag propagates by pryrt (Abbot) on May 18, 2023 at 20:29 UTC
It does not return a "LIST". ... No list Colloquially or not, the documentation I referenced specifically states that split returns a list, and I quote: "Splits the string EXPR into a list of strings and returns the list in list context". As such, "list" is canonical terminology for what `split` returns in list context, until such time as it is removed from the docs. I will continue to maintain that `split` does return a list, your "No list." notwithstanding. If you are instead quibbling with my use of ALL CAPS to try to show it as a term, would you prefer I had said "list" (with "air-quote"-style quotes) instead? (In evidence of the fact that I was using ALL CAPS to be a term that I am trying to define, I also did the ALL CAPS for ARRAY, and that's not how the documentation refers to the data type, either.) There's no such data structure. In my paragraph on LIST or "list" or however you want me to type "the concept of list in Perl documentation", I never once called it a "data structure" or "data type". Contrariwise, I very specifically called an ARRAY or "array" a "data type" (well, I typed "datatype", sorry) because that's what the docs call it. I was trying to help the O.P. differentiate concepts: the concept of the list construct (and with my link, obliquely to list context) compared to the concept of the array data type. As for "`LIST`" spelled like that, the docs use this to refer to an expression evaluated in list context Can you point me to a document that makes this distinction? I was trying to see if they had a formal definition of LIST in all caps anywhere, but couldn't find it; the List value constructors was the only section that I could readily find that tries to define a "list" of any sort.	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^6: Seeking Perl docs about how UTF8 flag propagates by ikegami (Patriarch) on May 19, 2023 at 16:40 UTC
I never once called it a "data structure" or "data type". But you did say it's returned instead of an array. You didn't use the words "data structure" or "data type", but you repeatedly presented it as something comparable to an array. And then you started to mix two different meanings of list. (It does not return a "list value", which refers to Perl code.) "List" is a dangerous word to use. Can you point me to a document that makes this distinction? Here's where the documentation uses `LIST` chmod LIST chomp( LIST ) chop( LIST ) chown LIST die LIST exec LIST exec PROGRAM LIST formline PICTURE,LIST grep BLOCK LIST grep EXPR,LIST import LIST join EXPR,LIST kill SIGNAL, LIST map BLOCK LIST map EXPR,LIST no MODULE VERSION LIST no MODULE LIST open FILEHANDLE,MODE,EXPR,LIST pack TEMPLATE,LIST print FILEHANDLE LIST print LIST printf FILEHANDLE FORMAT, LIST printf FORMAT, LIST push ARRAY,LIST reverse LIST say FILEHANDLE LIST say LIST sort SUBNAME LIST sort BLOCK LIST sort LIST splice ARRAY,OFFSET,LENGTH,LIST sprintf FORMAT, LIST syscall NUMBER, LIST system LIST system PROGRAM LIST tie VARIABLE,CLASSNAME,LIST unlink LIST unshift ARRAY,LIST use Module VERSION LIST use Module LIST utime LIST warn LIST [download] The syntax used to describe the syntax of Perl operators is not documented, but it is consistent. `LIST` always represents an expression evaluated in list context. (Contrast that with `my`, `our` and `state` which use `VARLIST`.)	[reply] [d/l] [select]