>"Jim Holsenback"  schreef in bericht news:4d383b61$1@news.povray.org...
>
>On 01/20/2011 09:23 AM, Jaap Frank wrote:
>> This piece of added text is a proposal to add to the documentation,
>> because this is possible with arrays.
>> The documentation gives no hint for this advanced use of arrays.
>> I know that very few users of POVRay are aware of it.
>> It can be added as point 3.2.1.8.3 Advanced use of Arrays.
>> Because English is not my native language it may be wise that someone
>> checks this text and then put it it in the documentation as proposal. I
>> don't know how to do that.
>
>At:
>http://wiki.povray.org/content/Documentation:Reference_Section_2.3#Declaring_Arrays
>
>the syntax diagram DOES mention the capability but there is little to no
>expansion on this concept. Is that what you're getting at? I'm not 1000%
>sure that the documentation is the correct place, but hey I might be
>persuaded to bow to the majority opinion ... maybe a KB "How To" article
>on the wiki might be a better choice

If you know it is possible to put arrays inside arrays, then you can read it 
between the lines, but it's not explicitly mentioned.
Even clipka wasn't aware of it and was convinced that it was not possible, 
see his reaction in this thread:

http://news.povray.org/povray.text.tutorials/thread/%3Cweb.4ab771232793170f772dd76f0%40news.povray.org%3E/

A link in the documentation to the wiki is naturally another possibility.

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In povray.general Jaap Frank <jjf### [at] casemanl> wrote:
> If you know it is possible to put arrays inside arrays, then you can read it 
> between the lines, but it's not explicitly mentioned.

  Since basically anything that can be #declared can also be put into an
array, it would be very strange if arrays made an odd exception to this
generic rule.

  If it has to be specified explicitly, I don't think it deserves more
than a single sentence in the documentation (something along the lines
of "you can create a multidimensional array by making an array of arrays").

-- 
                                                          - Warp

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On 01/20/2011 11:46 AM, Warp wrote:
> In povray.general Jaap Frank <jjf### [at] casemanl> wrote:
>> If you know it is possible to put arrays inside arrays, then you can read it 
>> between the lines, but it's not explicitly mentioned.
> 
>   Since basically anything that can be #declared can also be put into an
> array, it would be very strange if arrays made an odd exception to this
> generic rule.
> 
>   If it has to be specified explicitly, I don't think it deserves more
> than a single sentence in the documentation (something along the lines
> of "you can create a multidimensional array by making an array of arrays").
> 
agreed ... any expansion on the theme should come from the user
community (how to article)

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On 01/20/2011 11:46 AM, Warp wrote:
>   If it has to be specified explicitly, I don't think it deserves more
> than a single sentence in the documentation (something along the lines
> of "you can create a multidimensional array by making an array of arrays").
> 

it's been done ...

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>"Jim Holsenback"  schreef in bericht news:4d38b450$1@news.povray.org...
>
>On 01/20/2011 11:46 AM, Warp wrote:
>>   If it has to be specified explicitly, I don't think it deserves more
>> than a single sentence in the documentation (something along the lines
>> of "you can create a multidimensional array by making an array of 
>> arrays").
>>
>
>it's been done ...

Can you change that in "you can create a multidimensional or
                                        multivariable array by making an 
array of arrays"
because the multi variable part is the interesting tric.
By the way, I've looked at the wiki, but you have to do that in html-style I
suppose and I'm not familiar with html or is there an easy way to do that.

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On 01/21/2011 04:43 AM, Jaap Frank wrote:
>> "Jim Holsenback"  schreef in bericht news:4d38b450$1@news.povray.org...
>>
>> On 01/20/2011 11:46 AM, Warp wrote:
>>>   If it has to be specified explicitly, I don't think it deserves more
>>> than a single sentence in the documentation (something along the lines
>>> of "you can create a multidimensional array by making an array of
>>> arrays").
>>>
>>
>> it's been done ...
> 
> Can you change that in "you can create a multidimensional or
>                                        multivariable array by making an
> array of arrays"
> because the multi variable part is the interesting tric.

maybe it's a language thing but i think were talking semantics here ...
i think multidimensional is the correct term

> By the way, I've looked at the wiki, but you have to do that in
> html-style I
> suppose and I'm not familiar with html or is there an easy way to do that.

for the documentation we mix wiki markup with html markup for
convenience, because eventually it ALL gets translated to html for the
distribution doc sets, however a how to article can be done all be done
in wiki markup it you wish. it's pretty easy once you get the hang of it

here the very basics:
http://wiki.povray.org/content/Help:Editing

and more details:
http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Editing_pages

and of particular interest the Help:Formatting section

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Am 20.01.2011 15:20, schrieb Jaap Frank:

> If you know it is possible to put arrays inside arrays, then you can
> read it between the lines, but it's not explicitly mentioned.
> Even clipka wasn't aware of it and was convinced that it was not
> possible, see his reaction in this thread:
>
>
http://news.povray.org/povray.text.tutorials/thread/%3Cweb.4ab771232793170f772dd76f0%40news.povray.org%3E/

Heh, you're overestimating me :-)

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>"Jim Holsenback"  schreef in bericht news:4d39756c$1@news.povray.org...
>
>...
>> Can you change that in "you can create a multidimensional or
>>                                        multivariable array by making an
>> array of arrays"
>> because the multi variable part is the interesting tric.
>
>maybe it's a language thing but i think were talking semantics here ...
>i think multidimensional is the correct term

I don't disagree with multidimensional, but the manual states that once
an array is activated with a varaible type you only can use that type 
further.
With arrays inside arrays you can build a multivariable array and that's the
point I would like to see in the manual. So mentioning BOTH can give a hint
in that directions.

>> By the way, I've looked at the wiki, but you have to do that in
>> html-style I
>> suppose and I'm not familiar with html or is there an easy way to do 
>> that.
>
>for the documentation we mix wiki markup with html markup for
>convenience, because eventually it ALL gets translated to html for the
>distribution doc sets, however a how to article can be done all be done
>in wiki markup it you wish. it's pretty easy once you get the hang of it
>
>here the very basics:
>http://wiki.povray.org/content/Help:Editing
>
>and more details:
>http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Editing_pages
>
>and of particular interest the Help:Formatting section

Thank you for this information. I will see if it's not too complicated.

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>"clipka"  schreef in bericht news:4d3a8e0d$1@news.povray.org...
>Am 20.01.2011 15:20, schrieb Jaap Frank:
>
>> If you know it is possible to put arrays inside arrays, then you can
>> read it between the lines, but it's not explicitly mentioned.
>> Even clipka wasn't aware of it and was convinced that it was not
>> possible, see his reaction in this thread:
>>
>>
http://news.povray.org/povray.text.tutorials/thread/%3Cweb.4ab771232793170f772dd76f0%40news.povray.org%3E/
>
>Heh, you're overestimating me :-)

Do I?  ;-)

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Am 22.01.2011 15:24, schrieb Jaap Frank:

> I don't disagree with multidimensional, but the manual states that once
> an array is activated with a varaible type you only can use that type
> further.
> With arrays inside arrays you can build a multivariable array and that's
> the
> point I would like to see in the manual. So mentioning BOTH can give a hint
> in that directions.

Personally, I'd be reluctant to "sell" this in the official docs as a 
solution for multi-variable arrays, as it would prompt people to 
complain that this is a quite unwieldy solution - and rightly so: It's 
not a solution at all; it was never /designed/ to fulfil this role, it's 
just a kludge that happens to work.

For the docs, I'd suggest to just mention that arrays with different 
element types can still live well alongside each other in an array of 
arrays.

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