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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-AU link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#44546A'>Hi Folks<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#44546A'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#44546A'>This issue takes me back to the 2012 MC16 exam question :<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#44546A'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>Question 16 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The name, date of birth, membership number, address, suburb, postcode and phone number of one person is to be stored in memory. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Which one of the following would be the best data structure? <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>A. record <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>B. random file <br>C. sequential file <br>D. one-dimensional array<span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#44546A'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#44546A'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#44546A'>The concession that an associative array could just as easily store this information as a record made this question inexact. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#44546A'>To quote just PHP as an example of a language that uses associative arrays overlooks the fact the list of 39 programming languages <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_programming_languages_(mapping)#Language_support">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_programming_languages_(mapping)#Language_support</a> clearly shows most have support for an associative array, in one form or another. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#44546A'>An associative array is still an array. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#44546A'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>“</span><span lang=EN style='color:black'>Associative arrays can be implemented in any programming language as a package and many language systems provide them as part of their standard library. In some languages, they are not only built into the standard system, but have special syntax, often using array-like subscripting.</span><span lang=EN style='color:#1F497D'> </span><span style='color:#1F497D'>“ <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associative_array" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associative_array</a></span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#44546A'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#44546A'>Also Robert I distinctly remember Pascal requiring an enumerated type for the index of an array – even a user declared one, but only after this was declared when not inbuilt such as integer, string etc.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#44546A'>Excuse syntax as it’s been 20 years since I wrote a Pascal program but roughly the idea was.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#44546A'>Eg. month = enum{ jan, feb, mar, apr, …… nov, dec} ;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#44546A'> Rainfall = Array [month];<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#44546A'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#44546A'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#44546A'>Kind Regards<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#44546A'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#44546A'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#44546A'>Kevork Krozian<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#44546A'>Edulists Creator Administrator<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#44546A'>www.edulists.com.au<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#44546A'>tel: 0419 356 034<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#44546A'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> sofdev-bounces@edulists.com.au [mailto:sofdev-bounces@edulists.com.au] <b>On Behalf Of </b>timmer@westnet.com.au<br><b>Sent:</b> Friday, 12 June 2015 5:57 PM<br><b>To:</b> Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Year 12 SofDev] Arrays with mixed data types<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Hello again Mark<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>As an after though to my last post, I don't know if it's useful for what you are doing but the new SoftDev study design makes a distinction between the two types of 'array': U3 OC1 'data and information' dot point 2 - good ol' fashioned proper array; U4 OC1 'data and information' dot point 2 associative arrays.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Regards<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Robert T-A<o:p></o:p></span></p><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><br>----- Original Message -----<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:#E4E4E4'><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>From:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:#E4E4E4'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>"Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List" <<a href="mailto:sofdev@edulists.com.au">sofdev@edulists.com.au</a>><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>To:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>"Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List" <<a href="mailto:sofdev@edulists.com.au">sofdev@edulists.com.au</a>><o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Cc:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Sent:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Fri, 12 Jun 2015 14:25:58 +1000<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Subject:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Re: [Year 12 SofDev] Arrays with mixed data types<br><br><o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>I'm not familiar with the inner workings of PHP, but my research suggests their 'arrays' are not exactly the same nature as most other languages.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>It's sort of like when TV guides categorise 'Big Brother' as 'entertainment' ... a non-classical use of the term.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>I ask because I'm writing an exam with a question about whether a 2D array with mixed data types is possible (or wise).<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Cheers<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Mark<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>On 12 June 2015 at 14:09, Laurie Savage <<a href="mailto:08327998@pvgc.vic.edu.au">08327998@pvgc.vic.edu.au</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>If it quacks like an array ...? Could you elaborate on why Python lists ain't arrayz?<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Laurie<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><br clear=all><o:p></o:p></span></p><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Laurie Savage<br><a href="https://sites.google.com/a/pvgc.vic.edu.au/mr-savage/home">https://sites.google.com/a/pvgc.vic.edu.au/mr-savage/home</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>On 12 June 2015 at 13:27, Mark <<a href="mailto:mark@vceit.com">mark@vceit.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Hi, codemakers.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Most languages require all elements of an array to have a single data type, but I have a nagging suspicion that there is an exception or two.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>e.g. Apparently PHP allows mixed data types in its 'arrays' but I believe PHP 'arrays' are actually more like the lists found in Perl or Python and so are not classical arrays.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Is there a language that allows true arrays with mixed data types?<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Cheers<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Mark<span style='color:#888888'><br clear=all></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>-- <o:p></o:p></span></p><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Before Facebook, how many people would take a picture of their dinner on a disposable camera, get the photos developed, then go round to your friends' houses and show them all the photo?</span><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>-- <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Mark Kelly<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><a href="http://vceit.com">http://vceit.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><br>_______________________________________________<br><a href="http://www.edulists.com.au">http://www.edulists.com.au</a> - FAQ, Subscribe, Unsubscribe<br>IT Software Development Mailing List kindly supported by<br><a href="http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au">http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au</a> - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and<br><a href="http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/infotech/softwaredevel3-4.html">http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/infotech/softwaredevel3-4.html</a><br><a href="http://www.vitta.org.au">http://www.vitta.org.au</a> - VITTA Victorian Information Technology Teachers Association Inc<br><a href="http://www.swinburne.edu.au/ict/schools">http://www.swinburne.edu.au/ict/schools</a> - Swinburne University<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><br>_______________________________________________<br><a href="http://www.edulists.com.au">http://www.edulists.com.au</a> - FAQ, Subscribe, Unsubscribe<br>IT Software Development Mailing List kindly supported by<br><a href="http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au">http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au</a> - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and<br><a href="http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/infotech/softwaredevel3-4.html">http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/infotech/softwaredevel3-4.html</a><br><a href="http://www.vitta.org.au">http://www.vitta.org.au</a> - VITTA Victorian Information Technology Teachers Association Inc<br><a href="http://www.swinburne.edu.au/ict/schools">http://www.swinburne.edu.au/ict/schools</a> - Swinburne University<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><br><br clear=all><o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>-- <o:p></o:p></span></p><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>>> Witty sig goes HERE <<</span><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Mark Kelly<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><a href="http://vceit.com">http://vceit.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></body></html>