Re: [OFFTOPIC] Re: Invoking a function from a list of functions

[Eli Zaretskii]

> Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2018 06:10:48 -0800 (PST)
> From: Rusi <rustompmody@gmail.com>
> 
> ELISP> (setq flag "hi")
> "hi"
> ELISP> (setq flag "there")
> "there"
> ELISP> (list flag flag)
> ("hi" "there")
> 
> ELISP> (setq á "hi")
> "hi"
> ELISP>  (setq á "there")
> "there"
> ELISP>  (list á á)
> 
> Python
> 
> >>> flag = 1
> >>> flag = 2
> >>> (flag, flag)
> (2, 2)
> 
> >>> á = 1
> >>> á = 2
> >>> (á, á)
> (2, 2)
> 
> In my view python does it right(er) than elisp

That's debatable: the Unicode Standard says to act according to
canonical equivalence only in text, whereas the above are symbol
names.  We do display them the same (if the font supports that), but
we aren't under any obligation to map them to the same symbols, IMO.

> However when push comes to shove both python and elisp are equally bad
> 
> >>> Α = "hi"
> >>> A = "there"
> >>> (Α,A)
> ('hi', 'there')
> 
> 
> ELISP>  (setq Α "hi")
> "hi"
> ELISP>  (setq A "there")
> "there"
> ELISP>  (list Α A)
> ("hi" "there")

Why bad?  Those characters are not canonically equivalent.  If you
want to go by compatibility equivalence, you will enter a slippery
slope, where, for example, Ⅰ and 1 will yield the same symbol or even
the same number.  Is that what you (or we) really want?  I'd be
surprised.