On Thursday, 16 July 2015 at 05:28:15 UTC, Ola Fosheim Grøstad wrote:
> std::forward_list

Forget that one, that actually would be a single linked list… :P And in C++ you also have "std::integer_sequence" for compile time parameters.

But I think "sequence" implies that everything has the same type...

Oh, here is one more term you can consider:

"AliasPack"

In Python "splatting" is called "unpacking" ("splat" refers to the visual impression of the "*" operator and is inappropriate).

C++ also have related use of the word "pack":

http://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/language/parameter_pack

So in C++ all of the terms "list", "sequence" and "pack" can be used about parameter lists… but "list" is the general term: argument list, parameter list, initializer list etc…

On Thursday, 16 July 2015 at 05:44:29 UTC, Ola Fosheim Grøstad wrote:

>
> C++ also have related use of the word "pack":
>
> http://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/language/parameter_pack
>

Nice!  From the description:

"A template parameter pack is a template parameter that accepts zero or more template arguments (non-types, types, or templates). A function parameter pack is a function parameter that accepts zero or more function arguments.

A template with at least one parameter pack is called a variadic template."

Sound familiar?  I propose simply "Pack".

Mike

On Thursday, 16 July 2015 at 05:51:01 UTC, Mike wrote:
> Sound familiar?  I propose simply "Pack".

Or "AliasListPack", "AliasPackList", "PackedAliasList"…

(I'd hate to see the thread die…)

On Thursday, 16 July 2015 at 05:55:01 UTC, Ola Fosheim Grøstad wrote:
> On Thursday, 16 July 2015 at 05:51:01 UTC, Mike wrote:
>> Sound familiar?  I propose simply "Pack".
>
> Or "AliasListPack", "AliasPackList", "PackedAliasList"…

Or would it be "UnpackingAliasList" or "UnpackedAliasList"? Oh… Headaches…

On 2015-07-07 23:16, Andrei Alexandrescu wrote:
> So I thought we were supposed to replace bad names with good names.
> Template arguments are indexable, so "sequence" doesn't quite apply.
>
> What happened? Why are we replacing a crappy term with another crappy term?

How about "Bag" or "AliasBag"?

-- 
/Jacob Carlborg

On 2015-07-15 23:44, Timon Gehr wrote:

> It should instead be acknowledged that there /should/ be no difference
> in what three things can be passed to X(T...) and X(alias a, alias b,
> alias c). The X(T...) if(T.length==k) pattern is ridiculous.

I completely agree.

-- 
/Jacob Carlborg

On Thursday, 16 July 2015 at 06:32:15 UTC, Jacob Carlborg wrote:
> On 2015-07-07 23:16, Andrei Alexandrescu wrote:
>> So I thought we were supposed to replace bad names with good names.
>> Template arguments are indexable, so "sequence" doesn't quite apply.
>>
>> What happened? Why are we replacing a crappy term with another crappy term?
>
> How about "Bag" or "AliasBag"?

A "bag" is the same as a C++ multi-set.

Let's go over the common usage:

"list": finite ordered source of entities

"tuple": in math it is a fixed length list of values, in programming it usually has semantics close to a record/struct with numbers instead of field names and structural typing.

"sequence": infinite or finite list of values of the same kind/type

"bag": unordered list

"set": bag with unique entities

"array": run-time indexable bag

On Thursday, 16 July 2015 at 07:14:34 UTC, Ola Fosheim Grøstad wrote:
> "array": run-time indexable bag

Eh... not bag, bag often means value semantics without identity...

"array": run-time indexable collection of entities.

On Thursday, 16 July 2015 at 05:51:01 UTC, Mike wrote:

>> C++ also have related use of the word "pack":
>>
>> http://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/language/parameter_pack
>
> I propose simply "Pack".
>

I know Ola is making light of this situation and many of you find this discussion beneath you, but we need a name, and with the release looming we need it relatively soon.

I've creating a pull request for "Pack" (https://github.com/D-Programming-Language/phobos/pull/3494) which is inspired by C++'s parameter_pack as linked in the previous post.

From the description:
"A template parameter pack is a template parameter that accepts zero or more template arguments (non-types, types, or templates). A function parameter pack is a function parameter that accepts zero or more function arguments.
A template with at least one parameter pack is called a variadic template."

Given that that D has its roots in C++ and this construct is similar to the one in question, it seems like a good fit.

I prefer `Pack` over `AliasPack` or other variations because it's more general and allows us to be more specific in the future with `TypePack`, `ExpressionPack`, `AliasPack`, etc... later, but I'll be happy to change it if that's what you all wish.

Ultimately, though, it's going to be a judgment call, and I hope having a pull request ready to go makes things easier on those who have to make the call.  If it doesn't work, you know where the close button is.

Mike