Re: Problem loading/saving of lists and structures.

[James R. Van Zandt]

jwe writes: 

>...I could just apply the patches and clean up whatever conflicts
>arise, but I'd like to try to do something better, if it is possible.
>
>...I don't see how someone adding a new data type can anticipate all
>the data formats, nor do I see how someone writing code to handle new
>data formats can anticipate all new data types that someone else
>might add.

If there is an elegant solution to this, I don't see it.

>Perhaps overloading the load and save functions is not a good idea?
>
>Would it be unreasonable to expect people to use some other functions
>to read and write files in the Matlab, HDF, or other formats?

I don't see that this buys a lot.  I think letting "load" figure out
the file format for itself is helpful.  On the other hand, if you
think that factoring out the load/save code for each file format into
a separate file simplifies things, I would not complain.  (I don't
think this would simplify the addition of a new data type, but I don't
think that would happen as often.)

           - Jim Van Zandt