[erlang-questions] lists:keyfind as an alternative to lists:keysearch

[mats cronqvist]

Bjorn Gustavsson <bgustavsson@REDACTED> writes:

> On Wed, Jan 21, 2009 at 4:40 PM, mats cronqvist <masse@REDACTED> wrote:
>> Bjorn Gustavsson <bgustavsson@REDACTED> writes:
>>
>>>>  seems i've written this function at least a thousand times;
>>>>
>>>> keyfind(Key,N,List) ->
>>>>  {value,{Key,Val} = lists:keysearch(Key,N,List),
>>>>  Val.
>>>
>>> This version only works for tuples of size 2.
>>
>>  it was meant as an example, not an implementation proposal. i didn't
>>  balance the braces either :<
>
> Yes, but if the tuple has more than two elements, how do you know
> which field the caller is interested in? Do you assume that it always
> the element after the key? What is the caller is interested in several
> fields of the tuple?


  my point (if there was one) was that i write this function

keyfind(Key,List) ->
  {value,{Key,Val}} = lists:keysearch(Key,List),
  Val.

  again and again because a keyfind function should return a value of
  exit. if the tuple arity is > 2, it'll obviously have to return the
  whole yuple on success, but it should still exit on failure.

  alas, my example was both poorly chosen and buggy.

  mats