Talk:String interpolation (included)

Task clarification

I would think the intent would be to show that strings can be manipulated within the language. At least one example shows what appears to be print formatting only. I would think that that wouldn't meet the intent. So a printf would not pass but an sprintf would.

Yes, but, has it gone too far to correct? --Paddy3118 07:03, 1 June 2010 (UTC)

It isn't going to get any better. Another (less widespread) problem is documentation. Fixing it, will just have to look ugly for a while with all the attention tags. The problem is the Wikipedia article shows printf for variable interpolation which is referenced. Choices:

1. Let it ride (and maybe make it clear it's okay)
2. Clarify and make keeping the result in a string a requirement. Then flag.
3. Clarify and make it optional to show that the interpolated string can be retained in the program for further manipulation. Then (optional or different) flag? Or not?

Thoughts?

--Dgamey 11:26, 1 June 2010 (UTC)

I'm in favor of option 3, combined with consideration of another; correct the code example on Wikipedia's talk page in a way that won't raise the ire of the page's protector. --Michael Mol 15:48, 1 June 2010 (UTC)

I like that approach. -Dgamey

Return to draft

There seems to be another problem with this task, as I see it:

In traditional interpolation characters and variables are represented by a notation within the string, but I notice that some solutions are calling a substitution routine from within the language. This is really "substitution", rather than "interpolation". Iterpolation is implicit, whereas substitution is explicit (blimey that probably sounds more confusing - huh). Maybe the following examples clarify.

• "Mary had a $type lamb." # This is interpolation (not substitution)
• replace "type" with "little" in the string "Mary had a type lamb" # This is substitution (not interpolation)

Also what does the (included) bit mean in the task title?

I suggest we knock this task back to draft and sort out the description.

Markhobley 15:35, 22 February 2013 (UTC)

It seems to me that most solutions perform substitution instead of interpolation. Maybe this is because the task description is quite unclear. Also, the term "interpolation" is quite misleading. I did not understand the task until I read the Wikipedia article. --PauliKL (talk) 14:48, 3 July 2013 (UTC)

Wikipedia

There is already some discussion on WP

• [1] reference page is not the main article
• [2] main article

The talk pages already cover some of this.

• [3]
• [4]
• [5] (the first jump with little on it of relevance)

As far back as 2006, the fact the printf wasn't needed. Yet the examples seem a bit of a mix mash. -Dgamey