partial binary_to_term?

[Carsten Schultz]

On Sun, Jan 30, 2005 at 11:45:13AM +0100, Tony Rogvall wrote:
> On Jan 29, 2005, at 5:58 PM, Carsten Schultz wrote:
> >I think it would be useful to have a function that interprets only the
> >top level of a term in external term format.  For example with
> >
> >    T1 = {S0, S1, S2},
> >    T2 = [S3, S4, S5],
> >    B1 = term_to_binary(T1),
> >    B2 = term_to_binary(T2)
> >
> >one head_binary_to_term(B1) would yield the same result as
> >{term_to_binary(S0), term_to_binary(S1), term_to_binary(S2)}, of
> >course without un- and repacking.  Similarly, head_binary_to_term(T2)
> >would yield [term_to_binary(S3) | term_to_binary([S4, S5])].
> >
> 
> If I understand you correctly this is actually possible (easy) to 
> implement in erlang!
> You need to find the spec's of the external format and write a library.

Yes, you are right.  Having thought about it for a minute, it seems
slightly less attractive to me, because to get for example the head of
a cons cell you have to parse it completely to determine its length.

Thanks for the input,

Carsten

P.S.: If anyone is interested in my Haskell library that deals wirth
Erlang terms end external term format...

-- 
Carsten Schultz (2:38, 33:47)
http://carsten.codimi.de/
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fingerprint on my home page.
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