[Swift-devel] Associative array in Swift [GSoC]

[Ben Clifford]

> In which case is the logic following
> logic valid?
> a[0] [ a[0].length + 1 ]  = val ;

not really - the array has an unchanging length - you don't know it before 
you've finished assigning all the elements into it. [*]

you don't have to use sequential indices: you can assign elements 
1,2,3,8,100,101,102 if you like without needing to assign the elements in 
between (or, now, strings). if you have some other value associated with 
each assignment, for example, the index in an input array, then you can 
use that in your output array too rather than inventing a new index. Swift 
won't (/shouldn't) get upset by the holes.



[*] that's not strictly true, but the obscure semantics are something 
thats probably only of interest to me and hategan as a matter of pedantry.

--