Rank (computer programming): Difference between revisions

Revision as of 04:11, 4 July 2009

Revision as of 07:50, 17 December 2009

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In [[computer programming]], '''rank''' with no further specifications is usually a synonym for (or refers to) "number of dimensions"; thus, for instance, a bi-dimensional array has rank ''two'', a three-dimensional array has rank ''three'' and so on.

Strictly, no formal definition can be provided which applies to every [[programming language]], since each of them has its own concepts, [[Formal semantics of programming languages | semantics]] and terminology; the term may not even be applicable or, to the contrary, applied with a very specific meaning in the context of a given language.

In the case of [[APL programming language|APL]] the notion applies to every operand; and [[dyad|dyads]]s ("binary functions") have a ''left rank'' and a ''right rank''.

The box below instead shows how ''rank of a type'' and ''rank of an array expression'' could be defined (in a semi-formal style) for C++ and illustrates a simple way to calculate them at compile time.

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:<source lang="cpp">sizeof(rankof(expr))</source>

==See also==

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*[[Rank (J programming language)]], a concept of the same name in the [[J (programming language)|J programming language]]

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