4 ms·

If you happen to know the sequence is a list then might as well (apply #'min '(1 2 3 4 5)) instead of (reduce #'min '(1 2 3 4 5)). I'm sure the author is aware

by araxima 15y ago

If you happen to know the sequence is a list then might as well (apply #'min '(1 2 3 4 5)) instead of (reduce #'min '(1 2 3 4 5)). I'm sure the author is aware of that, but a reader might get the impression that #'min can only take two arguments.

sedachv 15y ago
Apply has the problem in that Common Lisp allows compilers to restrict the number of arguments passed to a function to a small value (specified by call-arguments-limit: http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec/Body/convar_call-a_uments-limit.html http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec...).
- jpr 15y ago
  I'm not well versed in CLHS legalese, but don't &rest arguments count as one argument? One would suspect so since &rest is allowed to be not copied.
  - gchpaco 15y ago
    Even if it is you still have to cons up all those arguments whereas reduce doesn't.
deleted 15y ago
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