Re: return value of `string-set!'

[William ML Leslie]

On 15 August 2013 08:33, Alexandru Cojocaru <address@hidden> wrote:
> Hi,
> currently `string-set!' returns an unspecified value. What about making it
> return `str' instead?

Functions whose specific purpose is to mutate the provided value
usually don't return the value because that is a common source of bugs
- this a common pattern in the string code and generally, too.

> Here is an example of its use:
>
> ; make a copy of `str' and replace its first character with `#\a'
> (define (make-copy str)
>  (string-set! (string-copy str) 0 #\a))
>
> instead of:
>
> (define (make-copy str)
>  (let ((s (string-copy str)))
>   (begin
>     (string-set! s 0 #\a)
>     s)))
>
> or perhaps I am doing something wrong?
>
> PS: the documentation of `list-set!' doesn't say what's its return value.

Thanks for pointing that out!  Curiously, it returns the value that
was set.  I wonder if this was intentional.

> Best regards,
> Alexandru Cojocaru

-- 
William Leslie

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